AWD Chrysler Pacifica Minivan in the Works?

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV may add an all-wheel-drive variant of the front-drive Chrysler Pacifica minivan in the U.S. and Canada, Automotive News reports.

Union officials at the Pacifica plant in Windsor, Ont., tell the newspaper that the carmaker is evaluating the potential for the powertrain but haven’t made a decision.

Analysts say production of such a model could begin by spring 2020. But Joe McCabe, who heads AutoForecast Solutions in Chester Springs, Pa., says it may not be possible to package awd with Chrysler’s popular Stow ’n Go seating system. The carmaker stopped offering awd minivans when it launched Stow ‘n Go, which allows the rear seats to fold flat into the floor, in 2004.

The Toyota Sienna is the only minivan currently offering an awd option. In Canada, 58% of Siennas sold are equipped with the system.

The Pacifica and entry-level Dodge Grand Caravan account for more than half of the minivan market in the U.S. and Canada, with combined annual sales of about 310,000 units in the region. The Windsor plant produces both models, including the plug-in hybrid version of the Pacifica.