For the longest time, the minivan market in America has been dominated by the Toyota Sienna and the Honda Odyssey. However, FCA has been looking to get in on the action, and it’s doing that with the Chrysler Pacifica. Here’s a look at the smart feature that makes the Chrysler Pacifica a perfect family minivan.

The 2021 Chrysler Pacifica’s FamCam system

As Cars.com reported, the latest Pacifica model has the new FamCam feature, which, like its name implies, is a camera system that’s meant to help parents keep track of their family as they drive around in their Pacifica. The FamCam feature is relatively simple, as it’s just a wide-angle camera that’s placed on the roof of the Pacifica. 

The camera is placed in such a way that it’ll provide a great view of everyone and everything in the second and third-row seats of the Pacifica. The camera will send the footage straight to the Pacifica’s 10.1-inch touch screen display.

Ultimately, parents will have an easy way to keep track of their kids without having to take their eyes off the road. The Odyssey has a similar feature, but still, it’s a great addition to the Pacifica nonetheless.

Why Chrysler’s FamCam system is great

The obvious benefit of the FamCam system and similar systems is that parents and drivers can look at their passengers without turning their heads. This is simply an easy and great way to improve the safety of the car, as drivers who are distracted by things can potentially get themselves into an accident. With that said, there are other reasons why this system improves the safety of the car.

Hot car deaths aren’t uncommon, and typically, they don’t happen because of foul play. Usually, parents simply forget that their young child is in their car, and that’s what ultimately leads to these kinds of accidents. However, with FamCam systems and similar systems, parents can use these features to quickly take a look at the backseats of their car to make sure that they haven’t forgotten anybody. 

With that said, FamCam and similar systems won’t prevent hot car deaths from happening, but they are a tool that can help. And, while FamCam is a great feature that’ll help improve the safety of the car, it’s also a useful feature for other tasks.

For example, it’s not unusual for a child to misbehave while they’re in the car. With systems like FamCam, parents can more easily discipline their misbehaving child while on the road.

FamCam isn’t all that the Chrysler Pacifica offers

The FamCam system is a nice little feature that makes the Pacifica a great minivan for families, but that’s not the only reason why the Pacifica is a good minivan to own in the first place.

As Cars.com said, the Pacifica is also the first minivan in over a decade to have an option for all-wheel drive. Some minivan owners may not need all-wheel drive, but others do. By offering this, Chrysler can cater to more families than Toyota or Honda can.

On top of that, Chrysler is also improving the rest of the tech that’s inside the Pacifica’s cabin. The Pacifica’s 10.1-inch touch screen is faster than before, and it’s also connected to Chrysler’s Uconnect system, which allows it to do other things as well.

Furthermore, the Pacifica’s infotainment system is also compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard, and they help improve the Pacifica’s capabilities. 

On the outside of the minivan, Cars.com said that Chrysler has also made some changes. The Pacifica has a new grille and overall, has a newer and more box-like look. Due to these changes, Cars.com said that the Pacifica has overtaken the Sienna and is now the new Swagger Wagon.