Chrysler Pacifica fails to grab the lead as segment shrinks by an eight in 2017
Sales in the US minivan segment fell by 11.1% to 102,324 in the fourth quarter of 2017, perfectly “on pace” as far as its performance in 2017 is concerned, when the segment saw its sales fell by 12.5% to 484,618 , the first time the segment has dipped below the 500,000 mark since 2011. With just the new Honda Odyssey building up sales [Read more…]
Toyota Sienna reclaims second spot as the segment’s double-digit sales decline continues
The US Minivan segment continued its steady double-digit sales decline in the third quarter of 2017, losing 13% of sales in Q3 and ending the period on 382,294 sales YTD. Interestingly, that puts it ahead of the subcompact segment so far this year, and if it finishes ahead it’ll be the first time since 2010 that the minivan segment was ahead. Still, despite the momentum of the new Chrysler Pacifica, the segment is a long way from its hay day, when over 1 million cars were sold each year.
Chrysler Pacifica takes second spot but still lags some way behind “rental special” Dodge Grand Caravan
The Minivan segment in the US continued its decline in the second quarter of 2017, and so far has seen total sales decline by 12.9% in 2017 to a total 264,237. However, with the Chrysler Pacifica hitting its stride, and the new Honda Odyssey about to go on sale, things may look up for the segment in the second half of the year.
After growing slightly in 2016, the Minivan segment is back in decline in the first quarter of 2017 with sales down 14.4% to 122,787 units. The segment that sold over 1.2 million units a year in its peak years 1999 and 2000, and still made up over a million sales as recently as 2005 has hovered around half that figure since 2009 and can’t seem to make a decent recovery as 7-seater crossovers are simply more trendy than minivans, which suffer from their soccer-mom image even though they’re much more practical and efficient in real life. Even the all-new Chrysler Pacifica can’t reverse the slide, and if even the new Honda Odyssey, due later this year, can’t stabilize the segment, it may be doomed.
Sales in the Minivan segment grew by 8.1 percent in the 2016, making it the only mainstream segment to gain sales in 2016. With total sales of 553,913 the segment is now within 30,000 units of the quickly-shrinking Subcompact segment, which is quite the comeback for the once-favorite family mover that has suffered greatly in recent years as consumers switch over to crossovers and SUVs. 2017 may be better still as the new Chrysler Pacifica comes into its own and the new Honda Odyssey goes on sale, though it could be that sales of the aging Dodge Grand Caravan start sliding considerably, as that could drag the whole segment down.
Sales in the US Minivan segment grew by 1.5 percent in the third quarter of 2016, as growth slowed down from the +21 percent in Q2, which was artificially boosted because of the plant shutdown at FCA in the second quarter of 2015, which hampered sales of two of the best selling models in the segment. In Q3 of 2016, five out of the eight models in the segment lost volume, although that needs a sidenote that two of those are discontinued nameplates. One of the most important questions about the minivan segment is whether the all-new Chrysler Pacifica is able to fill the large shoes of its predecessor, and so far the signs are positive. [Read more…]
Sales in the Minivan segment grew by 21 percent in the second quarter of the year – this continuation of the unexpected performance from the first quarter of the year made the segment the only mainstream segment to grow in the second quarter, and the second-faster growing segment over the time period (only the Subcompact SUV segment grew faster). Remarkably, almost every model in the segment contributed to this growth, though ultimately it’s the renewed market popularity of the outgoing FCA twins, Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Grand Caravan, that really drove this segments to such fast growth. [Read more…]
Sales in the minivan segment grew by 30%, an unexpected performance for a segment that struggled throughout 2015, when sales fell by 8%. Interestingly, the upswing in sales is not thanks to the eagerly-anticipated new Chrysler Pacifica, which has not gone on sale yet, but rather due to the sell-off of its ancient predecessors: the Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Grand Caravan. It will be interesting to see whether these models will continue gaining sales once the Pacifica hits the market.
Sales in the minivan segment fell by 8% compared to 2014, a worse performance that all mainstream segments (3% fall) and considerably worse than passenger cars on average (5% growth). Not all is lost, however, for the once-pioneering segment, as 2016 will see the significant new Chrysler Pacifica go on sale, while the segment-leading Toyota Sienna and Honda Odyssey are also due for a refresh in the next year or so.
Earlier today Chrysler revealed its crucial new model, the Pacifica minivan. “Wait, isn’t this the new Town&Country?” I hear you say? Yes, the name change is pretty surprising, given that the Town & Country and Voyager were pioneers of the segment and enjoy great name-recognition, but Chrysler’s logic is that they’ve become too synonymous with the old-style minivan and were tainted by the lackluster predecessor. Enter the “Pacifica” name, which last served on an upmarket minivan/crossover model, sort of like the Mercedes-Benz R-Class, that Chrysler retired in 2008 after only five years of sales. Such a name change is not unprecedented, but only time will tell if the new name will stick (as it did when Ford replaced the Escort with the Focus) or whether the carmaker will have a change of heart (as Ford had when it replaced the Taurus with the Five Hundred, only to change the name back a few years later). [Read more…]