What you need to know
- Fiat Chrysler Automobiles has announced the 2021 Pacifica.
- It will come with wireless CarPlay.
- Buyers can pre-order in the third quarter of 2020.
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles has taken the wraps off the 2021 Chrysler Pacifica minivan and it comes as standard with a massive 10.1-inch touchscreen. That is pretty great news on its own, but when you throw in the fact that it will also support wireless CarPlay – as spotted by MacRumors – things are taken up a notch or two.
To date, wireless CarPlay has been a feature reserved for the likes of Porsche, Audi, and BMW. And even then it's usually an optional extra. The news that the Pacifica will come with it as standard is very impressive indeed. And it's all made possible by the new Uconnect 5 system.
The all-new Uconnect 5 system, offered for the first time in a North American vehicle and standard across the Pacifica lineup, includes a largest-in-class 10.1-inch touchscreen, which is nearly 20 percent larger than the screen it replaces. The system is five times faster than Uconnect 4 and includes Alexa. With the Uconnect skill for Alexa, customers with Alexa-enabled devices at home can easily ask Alexa to start the car, lock/unlock doors and more. Uconnect 5 brings Amazon Alexa directly into the vehicle itself, giving occupants the freedom to interact with Alexa just as they do at home or on a personal device. With Alexa built-in, occupants can ask Alexa to play music, podcasts and audiobooks; add items to their to-do list; check news, weather, traffic, sports and other real-time information; and access tens of thousands of Alexa skills.
Who doesn't want Alexa in their car?
If you plan on picking up a 2021 Pacifica you're going to have to wait a while. FCA says that we can expect pre-orders to go live in the third quarter of 2020 with deliveries to dealerships taking place in the final quarter of the year.
Wireless CarPlay is exactly what it sounds like – CarPlay that doesn't need your iPhone to be plugged into your car to work. It's usually accompanied by a wireless charging mat, too.
