The Minivan Strikes Back!

Powered by the 90’s Soccer Mom ethic of convenience, Minivan sales in the US peaked at 1.2 million in 2000 and then dropped by two-thirds through 2009.

Since then Minivans have made a slow but steady comeback and became the fastest growth vehicle segment in the first quarter of this year. While Toyota, Honda and Nissan are players in this category, Chrysler, the originator of the minivan is posting the strongest trend not just on the good buzz about its dramatic new Pacifica, but also robust sales of outgoing models.

With the new Pacifica driving showroom traffic, the model it replaces, the Town & Country saw a 75.2 % increase to over 9,000 units, as did the outgoing Dodge Caravan which more than doubled its sales to over 13,000 units.

The Pacifica debuts a clean and dare we say sexy new skin. Underneath the vehicle is engineered more like an SUV, giving it superior handling properties. Inside the top of the line $47,000 Pacifica Limited is luxurious with all the premium amenities and the crowd-pleasing stow and go seating. A new Pacifica hybrid electric model will be a minivan first.