It is unrelated to the discontinued crossover and concept vehicles by the same name and replaced the Chrysler Town & Country for the 2017 model year.

In June 2013, it was reported that Chrysler was preparing to produce a new generation of its Town & Country minivan at the Windsor Assembly Plant, with production set to begin in 2015 and a release for the 2017 model year.

[9] In 2015, FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne announced that it would invest $2 billion in developing a new minivan, and overhauling the Windsor Assembly Plant to facilitate its production.

[10] A company issued plan of future vehicles revealed that a new Town & Country would begin production in February 2016 for the 2017 model year, and that the final-generation Dodge Grand Caravan would be maintained in parallel with the new Town & Country as a lower-cost option during the 2017 model year, after which it will be discontinued.

[11][12][13] On November 3, 2015, FCA filed to have its trademark registration on the Pacifica brand renewed; FCA's Head of Passenger Car Brands Timothy Kuniskis denied that this was related to any new products and that it was standard industry practice to continue renewing its trademarks because "you don't want to lose names.

[14][15] Chrysler also changed the minivan's sliding doors: they will be aluminum and hands-free, opening automatically when the fob holder waves under them.

[18] The Pacifica Hybrid has a 16 kWh battery pack qualifying it in the US for the full US$7,500 federal tax credit and also to other incentives at the state and local level.

[25] It continues the pre-facelift design and includes a long list of features and equipment with only two options: (1) the "SafetyTec Group" (Advanced Brake Assist, Pedestrian Emergency Braking, Full-Speed Forward Collision Warning Plus, Uconnect 5 NAV with 10.1-inch Display, ParkSense Rear Park Assist System with Stop, and Blind Spot Monitoring with Rear Cross-Path Detection System) and (2) the "Fleet Security Group" (Two additional key fobs and SiriusXM Guardian trial).

It is the first Fiat Chrysler Automobiles vehicle to feature the new Android-based Uconnect 5 infotainment system with a standard 10.1-inch high-resolution touchscreen display and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration, as well as Amazon Alexa capabilities, as well as SiriusXM Satellite Radio and high-speed data connectivity.

The plug-in hybrid version uses a 16-kWh lithium-ion battery, located under the floor under the second row of seats, with an all-electric range of 33 mi (53 km)[30] before switching to the gasoline engine.

In April 2016, Chrysler launched a television advertising campaign for the Pacifica entitled "Dad Brand", featuring comedian Jim Gaffigan and his children.

[53] In October 2016, Chrysler launched a social media-oriented campaign known as "PacifiKids", featuring videos in which unsuspecting families shopped for the vehicle at a dealership staffed entirely by children.