The original minivan’s year-over-year sales were up by 21 percent
Because buyers are crazy about SUVs, automakers around the globe are trying to make as many as possible. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles has quietly recorded over 270,000 minivans sales in 2018, with the Dodge Grand Caravan posting 151.927 sales. It is enough to outsell most minivans on the market and surpass quite a few SUVs. Minivans may not be a final product yet.
We received 2018 sales data and decided to examine the machine that was once considered the best for family duties. The Grand Caravan continues to be a strong seller with a strong year-over-year sales. Increasing In a market that is supposedly dominated SUVs and crossovers, the Caravan accounted for 21 percent. The Caravan was, however, easily outsold by the SUVs and crossovers. Dodge Durango More than 80,000 units. It also beat crosstown rivals like the Ford Edge And Chevrolet Traverse Not to mention its stablemate, The Chrysler Pacifica With 118,322 2018 sales, the Pacifica remained strong.
The Honda Odyssey is the next minivan competitor. It has 106,327 sold. Toyota sold 87.672 Sienna minivans and Hyundai only 17,928 Seldonas. This is all that’s available in the minivan market, at least for U.S. customers.
Although SUVs are certainly attractive, we have often stated that they are not as capable of caring for larger families than a minivan. You have more space for passengers, especially when you consider hauling six to seven people. Accessing the back row of an SUV or full-size minivan is not as simple as using the large sliding doors on a minivan. Minivans are also cheaper and offer a more dynamic vehicle than a truck. There are tradeoffs in ground clearance and all-wheel drive capability. However, unless you are traveling frequently through backwoods terrain, these are not an issue.
We are betting that there are many auto executives looking at the Caravan’s 2018 performance and wondering if they can do more. We are betting that there is.