Nobody really knows what Chrysler is or is supposed to be, and that’s pretty much been the story of the brand over the past decade. We reckon we know what it should be, though. The Pacifica is the brand’s only product, and, as it just so happens, Stellantis is tied up with an automaker in China that just introduced a new minivan. It’s called the Leapmotor D99, and surveying its specs and design, we can’t think of a good reason for Chrysler not to federalize this thing and bring it across the Pacific (no pun intended) ASAP.
Stellantis holds exactly 19.99% of Leapmotor, the Chinese EV maker that just celebrated its 10th anniversary in December. The brand began selling cars in Europe in 2024, but, like all EV startups hailing from China, U.S. sales would seem to be a pipedream. However, Leapmotor has one foot in the door via Stellantis, and the D99—which will be available both as a pure battery-electric or range-extended vehicle—strikes generations ahead as what Chrysler’s putting on American roads right now. It even compares well with the Pacifica in size, measuring about only an inch longer and narrower.
Specs are light, but the all-electric D99 has a 1,000-volt architecture (100 volts beyond even the just-released Lucid Gravity) and a 115-kWh CATL-developed “super hybrid cell” battery that combines sodium and lithium chemistries. Leapmotor quotes a 450-mile range on the WLTP cycle, which is always a little generous, so figure closer to 375 miles under the EPA protocol.
If that’s not enough for you, you can opt for the range-extender model, which uses an 800-volt charging system and an 80-kWh pack. Leapmotor hasn’t identified the internal-combustion engine in this setup, but it estimates that drivers should still be able to travel around 300 miles (again, WLTP, so, grain of salt) tapping only the battery pack, which is pretty strong.
The D99 joins the Leapmotor D19, which cuts more of an SUV profile and offers 536 horsepower. It looks good, too, and I can’t deny the wheels and silver roof lend a Merc-Maybach vibe to the whole affair. We haven’t seen the inside of the D99 yet, but the D19’s interior looks perfectly fine—at least for passengers. It’d be better without the big honkin’ tablet on the dash.
Now, back to Chrysler. Some years ago, the brand teased that it was rethinking the Pacifica for an electric future. Stellantis’ forays into EVs on this side of the pond have clearly not gone well, and with federal incentives and emissions targets being axed, the company has turned back hard into stuffing as many Hemis into vehicles that will fit them. Let the Charger and Ram have their V8s, I guess, but that shouldn’t come at the expense of a diversity of powertrains. Walking away from EVs entirely would be an absurdly short-sighted decision.
Point is, the Pacifica is going to need to go in this direction sooner or later, and Stellantis’ partner appears to have an enticing product now. Who knows if the company is still actively developing that electric Pacifica teased in years prior. Hopefully, it hasn’t gone the way of the Ram 1500 REV—you know, the original all-electric pickup, not the truck formerly known as the Ramcharger that is now called the REV. My head’s spinning.
It’d be wise to have some vision for where the Pentastar’s only product is headed, because right now the Pacifica doesn’t feel especially ambitious. “Chrysler basically invented the minivan,” our Byron Hurd wrote in his recent review of the range-topping Pinnacle model. “The Pacifica still carries the banner high, but it’s starting to show its age.”
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