Automakers Offer Alternatives to Vans

DETROIT, Jan 8 (Reuters) - Soccer moms may never have to drive another minivan again.

From the Honda Pilot sport utility vehicle to the Chrysler Pacifica wagon, both introduced at the Detroit auto show this week, automakers are offering more vehicles that are both functional and more fun than the classic suburban kid-hauler.

For those embarrassed to be seen in a minivan, both Honda Motor Co.'s Pilot and DaimlerChrysler AG's

Pacifica have a third row seat which can be folded flat for added cargo space.

Minivans once were a growth area for automakers because suburban American families needed to ferry their kids to and from recreational activities such as soccer. But the market has stagnated recently as consumers switched to sport utility vehicles.

``A minivan, while they may be great for utility and hauling people around, they're fairly boring to drive. They're not exciting,'' said Jeff Schuster, director of North American forecasting for J.D. Power and Associates.

Strangely enough, while the Pilot may look like a desirable sport utility vehicle, it has many of the same components as Honda's Odyssey minivan. Honda expects the eight-passenger Pilot, which goes on sale in the United States this summer at a price starting at $25,000 to $30,000, to rack up U.S. sales of 70,000 to 80,000 units a year.

The all-wheel-drive Pacifica blends the attributes of large cars, sport utility vehicles and high-end minivans, said Richard Schaum, Chrysler's head of engineering. ``We feel that it's a segment buster,'' he said.

Chrysler expects to sell about 130,000 of the Pacificas a year after it goes on sale in early 2003.

Even sports cars are getting into the game. Mazda Motor Corp. introduced its new RX-8 sports car on Tuesday, which has two small rear doors and room for rear seat passengers, offering more versatility than its two-door predecessor, the RX-7.

SAAB DESIGN HINTS AT SUV

Saab, GM's Swedish car unit, showed the 9-3X, which company executives said strongly hints at the company's first sport utility vehicle expected to hit the market in a few years.

The 9-3X, powered by a turbocharged 2.8-liter V-6 engine, offers what the company refers to as a ``sporty, multi-dynamic design,'' said Saab Chief Executive Officer Peter Augustsson.

``Saab is exactly in that sweet spot,'' he told Reuters in an interview. ``In the middle, between the traditional truck and the traditional car, there are a lot of interesting things going on. We have to combine the joyful use of cars with practicality.''

Pickup trucks, for years the ultimate functional vehicle, are also offering a sporty edge. Chrysler announced on Wednesday that it will offer its V-12 engine used in the Dodge Viper sports car in its half- and three-quarter ton pickup trucks beginning this fall.

So-called ``crossover'' vehicles, which combine the traits of cars and trucks, will be the fastest-growing segment of the U.S. market over the next five years, while minivans will be the slowest, according to a survey of 103 automotive executives by KPMG LLP professional services firm released on Tuesday.

Fifty-eight percent of the executives said crossover vehicles will increase U.S. market share over the next five years, versus just 21 percent who said minivans would post gains.

To be sure, minivans and large sport utility vehicles are not disappearing.

Ford Motor Co.introduced its new eight-passenger Ford Expedition full-size sport utility vehicle, a key vehicle for its drive to return to profitability after a disastrous

2001.

Nissan Motor Co. , whose Quest minivan had been made by Ford Motor Co. , rolled out on Tuesday a possible version of its first crack at building its own minivan, which will go on sale at a later date.

But even Nissan officials tried to downplay the minivan's association with suburban housewives.

``What did you expect, a soccer mom?'' said Alfonso Albaisa, associate director of design with Nissan as the more chiseled and tougher-looking Quest rolled onto the stage. The Quest is for minivan buyers who ``don't want to be embarrassed driving one,'' he said.

By Michael Ellis