Photo: Kleber Silva on Behance
Take a moment to go through the U.S. lineup of the Chevrolet brand. You won’t find any minivan there, and a Honda Odyssey-rivaling people hauler like the one rendered by Kleber Silva isn’t going to happen either. Demand – or lack thereof – is to blame for how the golden bowtie’s range of passenger vehicles looks nowadays.
Year after year, an increasing number of customers opt for crossovers or SUVs with three rows of seats as family cars. It’s easy to understand why, more so if you park a Honda Odyssey next to the eight-seat Pilot on which it’s based. The minivan segment isn’t lucrative either if you analyze the sales figures for the U.S. market.
Minivans declined 15 percent in 2019 compared to 2018, and every single nameplate lost sales. Those switching from minivans to utility vehicles can’t be blamed for their choice, though, despite the multi-purpose vehicle’s practical prowess. It just isn’t cool, and the price point of the Honda Odyssey is too close to that of the Pilot for someone to pick a box on four wheels over the stylish SUV.
Silva’s rendering also has to be approached from a different standpoint. Chevrolet offers eight seats in the Traverse and up to nine seats in the Suburban. Don’t forget the Tahoe either, and the Express Passenger also deserves an honorable mention. The golden bowtie, therefore, doesn’t miss out by not offering an Odyssey rival.
Industry experts claim that minivans in America will dip under the 300,000 mark by 2021, and the contraction is estimated at fewer than 200,000 by 2024. An ever-shrinking segment is a sign of falling interest for all parties involved, meaning that General Motors won’t surprise the market with something that won’t turn a profit.
There is, however, an exception to the rule. Of course, we’re talking about China where the Buick GL8 sold 148,121 units in 2019. Asian markets are the final frontier for the minivan, but even there, the SUV is getting increasingly popular.
Minivans declined 15 percent in 2019 compared to 2018, and every single nameplate lost sales. Those switching from minivans to utility vehicles can’t be blamed for their choice, though, despite the multi-purpose vehicle’s practical prowess. It just isn’t cool, and the price point of the Honda Odyssey is too close to that of the Pilot for someone to pick a box on four wheels over the stylish SUV.
Silva’s rendering also has to be approached from a different standpoint. Chevrolet offers eight seats in the Traverse and up to nine seats in the Suburban. Don’t forget the Tahoe either, and the Express Passenger also deserves an honorable mention. The golden bowtie, therefore, doesn’t miss out by not offering an Odyssey rival.
Industry experts claim that minivans in America will dip under the 300,000 mark by 2021, and the contraction is estimated at fewer than 200,000 by 2024. An ever-shrinking segment is a sign of falling interest for all parties involved, meaning that General Motors won’t surprise the market with something that won’t turn a profit.
There is, however, an exception to the rule. Of course, we’re talking about China where the Buick GL8 sold 148,121 units in 2019. Asian markets are the final frontier for the minivan, but even there, the SUV is getting increasingly popular.
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