[Dave Z]

They are both utility. However... yes, eight seats used to be common on Chrysler minivans

 

[Dave Z]

No. The utility is passenger --or cargo-- capacity. In most minivans, you can remove the seats to increase cargo space.

You can get the utility of increased cargo space on Sienna and Odyssey by physically removing the seats; you can only get the convenience of storing the seats under the floor on Pacifica with Stow 'n Go.

The counterpoint above is that you have to trade the utility of carrying 8 passengers for the convenience of Stow 'n Go.

I would argue the underfloor storage is also utility.

 

[Dave Z]

Could be. But Chrysler is not creating space under the floor out of nothing. It is relocating components under the floor (e.g., fuel tank, etc.), raising the floor, redesigning the seats and their anchor points. All of which, presumably, cut into Chrysler's ability to offer 8-passenger seating.

Now, if Chrysler offered Stow 'n Go AND 8-passenger seating, it would allow customers to have their cake and eat it too.

I don't know how much they raise the floor, but you're right about the eight passenger seating, and that is, IMHO, two things - (a) cost cutting and (b) not wanting to leave the middle seat unfoldable while the others fold flat. The obvious and original solution is seven passenger SnG with an eight passenger rollaway seat option, but they were too cheep to pay for the tooling, so we don't have that.

Correction: apparently they paid for the tooling but it's a matter of being weird or cheap with option packages.

I agree regarding having had to haul stuff around, and in at least one case I didn't have any place to leave the seats once I'd taken them out.

 

[Dave Z]

Good detective work. So you need to get the Touring L with UConnect Tehater (which the last time I looked was outrageously expensive)?
Or, and don't mistake me here, the documentation is wrong.

To be fair the Touring L isn't too expensive.
Funny that hybrid is not presented as a completely different vehicle in that site.

I think a dealer needs to step in and tell us what's really going on. I don't trust Chrysler online materials much.

 

[Dave Z]

That makes a lot more sense. I was thinking the Equiniox must be seriously well designed for a moment.