Who Knew You Could Turn a Chrysler Pacifica Into an Overlander?
The Chrysler Pacifica Grizzly Peak concept imagines an off-road minivan.
Justin BannerWriterManufacturerPhotographerAug 25, 2025
2025 Chrysler Pacific Grizzly Peak Concept 15
There is no doubt overlanding has become a popular form of off-roading. The goal is to basically turn your truck or SUV into a house on wheels (or pull one with you) and live off-grid for a few days or more. But who said you must build your overlander from a truck or SUV? Well, nobody. Certainly no one told Chrysler, who unveiled a special one-off Pacifica, dubbed the Grizzly Peak concept, at the recent Overland Expo Mountain West show. Who knows, maybe Chrysler is on to something here.
2025 Chrysler Pacific Grizzly Peak Concept 3
Indeed, the Chrysler Pacifica Grizzly Peak concept is minivan designed to go overlanding, and it might make you scratch your head at first. “Well, wouldn’t an overland vehicle need four-wheel drive?” Well, check off that box because the 2025 Pacifica Limited is available with AWD. And this isn’t a hybridized model with a rear electric motor, either. This is a straight mechanical system driving all four wheels. “But what about a lift and tires? It can’t go anywhere with its low ride height and street tires.” Chrysler’s team thought of that and added a 2.75-inch front and 2.50-inch rear suspension lift. This is combined with a set of 31-inch outer diameter (LT265/65R18) BF Goodrich All-Terrain TA KO2 tires on the stock Pacifica Foreshadow black wheels.
2025 Chrysler Pacific Grizzly Peak Concept 5
Before you go on about lighting and carrying proper cargo on the roof, the stock headlights are augmented by a set of Baja Designs LP4 LED foglamp pods. Meanwhile, up top there’s a Rhino-Rack Pioneer Platform roof storage rack that gains a pair of 12-inch Tyri V12 LED light bars. This is where Chrysler mounted a spare tire and Maxtrax recovery boards for emergencies. And when you’re at your camping spot, the roof-mounted ARB retractable awning can be pulled out for some additional shade on the driver side of the van. The awning is set up to be perfectly in line with the minivan’s large sliding door, too. The rest of the body is finished off in Arktos matte and the accents painted in Foreshadow black. To protect the lower body panels, Chrysler applied a paint-protective wrap and installed a set of Mopar splash guards.
2025 Chrysler Pacific Grizzly Peak Concept 13
Inside, the standard Pacifica Limited interior is enhanced by a concept color scheme of Cement Gray with Liquid Titanium accents found on the instrument panel, the door-card bezels, and the steering wheel bezels. The steering wheel is also wrapped in a sport flavor with dimple perforations and orange contrast stitching. It’s joined by a pair of paddle shifters to control the transmission. The seats are wrapped in Katzkin leather surfaces in white and black leather with orange contrast piping between the two opposite colors. The orange piping is joined by a set of orange seat belts, and the floors are protected with a set of Mopar all-weather floormats throughout the cabin.
2025 Chrysler Pacific Grizzly Peak Concept 9
With this being an overlander, the Pacifica Grizzly Peak concept team removed the third row of seats, opting for a cargo floor panel that’s just a concept part. But the opening for the Stow ’n Go third row remains and was transformed into a useful area to store recovery gear, water bottles, dirty boots, and more. You could also store gear, clothes, and other cargo in the Mopar Chrysler-branded stackable totes, which are also a good place for the Mopar roadside first-aid kit. You can secure the totes thanks to the second set of tie-downs behind the second-row seats. Regardless, with the Pacifica’s fully flat floor, you have a great option to sleep inside the van by clearing out the totes and putting down your snoozing gear. And don’t worry about keeping your electronics charged while out in the wilderness; the Grizzly Peak concept includes 115-volt power access by the rear hatch and is good for up to 450 watts of power.
At this point, the Grizzly Peak is little more than a flight of fancy, but you never know, one of these days you may see one bounding down a popular overlanding trail on the way to an off-grid paradise.
2025 Chrysler Pacific Grizzly Peak Concept 20
Justin Banner
Having experience in many forms of the automotive industry, Justin Banner has done more than just write about cars. For more than 15 years, he’s had experience working as an automotive service technician—including a stint as a Virginia State Inspector—service advisor, parts sales, and aftermarket parts technical advisor (a fancy way of saying he helped you on the phone when you had trouble fitting your brakes over your aftermarket wheels and the like). Prior to his tenure as a full-time editor, Justin worked as a freelance writer and photographer for various publications and as an automotive content creator on YouTube. He’s also covered multiple forms of motorsports ranging from Formula Drift, drag racing, and time attack, to NASCAR, short course off-roading, and open desert racing. He’s best known for breaking down complex technical concepts so a layperson can more easily understand why technologies, repairs, and parts should matter to them. At MotorTrend, Justin is part of the news team covering breaking news and topics while also working as a judge for MotorTrend Of the Year events and other major comparison tests.