Van sales plunge as the love story between America and SUVs continues

After considering the Toyota Sienna pickup truck, the 31-year-old Boston area tax consultant and his wife determined "that an SUV would meet our needs".

They bought a Nissan Rogue hybrid to accompany their other SUV, the three-row Acura MDX. The Rogue had plenty of room, good gas mileage and strong safety features, Patel said.

"We really did not need a van," he said. He also worried about the stigma that some people still associate with the body style.

"Minivans have always been stigmatized by the image of the football mom, even though they are incredibly practical," said Michelle Krebs, an analyst at Autotrader, a car-buying website.

Like Patel, more and more Americans are saying no to minivans, once considered synonymous with family life in the suburbs, even as the vehicle celebrates its 35th anniversary this year. In fact, Fiat Chrysler – whose Chrysler division is known to have invented the van – could soon kill one of the segment's best-known models.

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Sales of minivans, expressed as a percentage of the entire US automotive industry, increased from 4% in 2009 to 2.6% in the first quarter of 2019, according to research and data company IHS Markit.

Changing needs

The main factor that has affected van sales is the country's love affair with SUVs and crossover vehicles, which have grown in number, providing customers with a multitude of alternatives to the minivan with sliding doors.

George Augustaitis, director of sector and economic analysis at CarGurus, said the declining birth rate in the country and the movement toward city life had also contributed to the decline of minivans.

"It's a bit easier to get around in SUVs, and if you have only one child and you're 28, 29, 30, the SUV will provide you with everything you need," he said. declared.

Sport utility vehicles now account for about 50% of vehicle sales in the United States, up from about 31% in 2009, according to Edmunds and IHS Markit, respectively.

3-row SUVs proliferate

This changing taste has led more and more automakers to add SUVs to their lineups while reducing their van offerings.

For years, there were only a few three-row SUVs on the market – mostly from the three Detroit automakers. But now, foreign automakers are suddenly introducing massive SUVs that represent a viable alternative to minivans.

Recent introductions of three-row SUVs include the Hyundai Palisade, Kia Telluride and Volkswagen Atlas. Toyota unveiled its new version of the Highlander SUV at the New York auto show in April, and the popularity of the Honda Pilot has soared.

"Manufacturers are devoting resources to the design and development of sport utility vehicles, but not minivans," said Tom Libby, automotive analyst at IHS Markit.

Nameplates for minivans disappear

A dozen minivans have been discontinued over the past 15 years, including the newest, the Nissan Quest, which follows the 2017 model year. Minivans like the Chevrolet Uplander, Buick Terraza, Mazda 5 and Pontiac Montana have long since disappeared.

There are only five vehicles left in production: the Toyota Sienna, the Honda Odyssey, the Kia Sedona, the Chrysler Pacifica and the Dodge Grand Caravan. But Fiat Chrysler should stop the caravan in the next few years.

This does not mean that minivans will completely die at any time in the immediate future. Fiat Chrysler, for example, sold 151,927 large caravans in 2018, but analysts say the vehicle is sold largely to fleet buyers, not consumers. And the automaker's Chrysler Pacifica, introduced in 2017, has impressed critics with its design and technology, including the hybrid and plug-in hybrid options.

Analysts believe that the van may even be about to appear one day, as the world is increasingly interested in autonomous cars and the Americans give up ownership.

"When it comes to moving people and objects, minivans remain the first choice to get the job done," Fiat Chrysler said in an e-mail response to questions. "As an original utility vehicle, minivans offer an astonishing mix of functionality, efficiency and comfort."

Minivans survivors on fragile ground

Nevertheless, Fiat Chrysler has confirmed that the Grand Caravan "will eventually disappear", but the moment has not yet been determined.

Other builders say they're sticking to their minivans:

• Toyota spokesman Scott Vazin said the builder still had "long-term plans to invest, refresh and renew Sienna".

• Honda spokeswoman Jessica Pawl said the Odyssey "remains an important part of our lineup."

• Kia spokesman James Bill said Sedona "is an important vehicle for Kia's markets around the world, including the United States."

Eric Lyman, senior industry analyst for ALG, a subsidiary of the TrueCar Car Search website, said the Honda Odyssey and Toyota Sienna had the best performance among retail customers, although that they ranked respectively 3rd and 4th on all minivans. Total sales 2018.

"The idea of ​​reliability, durability and product quality is paramount at the time of purchase – and Toyota and Honda have buckled this perception," Lyman said.

A consequence of all these utilities instead of minivans is a lot more gates in Walmarts car parks and malls across America as kids rush in and out of the SUV vehicle, said Lyman.

Lyman owns a pickup truck and remains a fan of body style, but acknowledged that it was more and more the exception.

"The van is a functional vehicle and it has certainly become more elegant, but there is a limit to what you can do from the point of view of the style of a van – and the target demographic is interested in there really to certain nuances in this style? " he said.

According to Autotrader, with sales plummeting, the future of the minivan could follow a course similar to that of other vehicles that found themselves in the car industry's scrap.

"When I looked at sales and declining market share, it reminded me of the compact van segment," said CarGurus analyst Augustaitis.

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