Stodgy Minivans are Innovating to Survive

Chrysler 700 C Minivan Concept

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Washington DC January 18, 2012; The AIADA newsletter reported that at their peak, models like the Chrysler Town & Country, Honda Odyssey, and Ford Windstar accounted for about 8 percent of the U.S. new vehicle market.

Without some breakthrough, that could soon slip to as little as 3 percent, according to a forecast by IHS Automotive.

At its peak, reports MSNBC, Chrysler had three different minivan models offered under its various brand names. General Motors and Ford also had an assortment of minivans, all now abandoned. Only Toyota, with the Sienna, and Honda, with the Odyssey, are viable competitors to Chrysler today. But the minivan segment has shrunk so badly that none of the major automakers can really be described as seeing successful sales.

"It's not a decline to nowhere, because as long as there are families there will be minivans," IHS Research Director Rebecca Lindland said. But, she added, "many families are looking for alternatives to minivans, trading functionality for style. Some former minivan buyers have migrated to big SUVs, but the big shift has been to crossover/utility vehicles, such as the Honda Pilot, which the automaker admits it specifically designed to attract traditional minivan customers."

For more on MSNBC report on the minivan segment, click here.