Editing Minivan (section)

== North America ==
Due to their larger footprint and engines, minivans developed for the North American market are distinct from most minivans/MPVs marketed in other regions, such as Europe and Asia. {{As of|2020}}, average exterior length for minivans in North America ranged around {{convert|200|inch|m|2|abbr=out}}, while many models use [[V6 engine|V6]] engines with more than {{convert|270|hp|kW PS|0|abbr=out}} mainly to fulfill towing capacity requirements which North American customers demand.<ref>{{cite web |title=Common Minivan Dimensions |url= https://www.jdpower.com/cars/shopping-guides/common-minivan-dimensions |access-date=2022-03-04 |work=J.D. Power |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=2020-12-16 |title=What's the Best Minivan or SUV for Towing a Travel Trailer? |url= https://togorv.com/rv-living/best-minivans-and-suvs-tow-vehicles/ |access-date=2022-03-04 |work=Togo RV |language=en}}</ref>

In 2021, sales of the segment totalled 310,630 units in the U.S. (2.1% of the overall car market), and 33,544 in Canada (2.0% of the overall car market).<ref>{{cite web |date=2022-01-20 |title=US car sales analysis 2021 – Minivans |url= https://carsalesbase.com/us-car-sales-analysis-2021-minivans/ |access-date=2022-03-02 |website=carsalesbase.com |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Tulumba |first=Chris |title=2021 Canada Minivan Sales Figures By Model |url=https://www.goodcarbadcar.net/2021-canada-minivan-sales-figures-by-model/ |access-date=2022-03-03 |website=goodcarbadcar.net}}</ref> {{As of|2022}}, the passenger-oriented minivan segment consists of the [[Toyota Sienna]], [[Chrysler Pacifica]], [[Chrysler Voyager]], [[Honda Odyssey (North America)|Honda Odyssey]], and [[Kia Carnival]].<ref>{{cite web |date=2022-02-04 |title=Best New Minivans and Vans of 2022 |url= https://www.caranddriver.com/features/g27196547/best-vans-minivans/ |access-date=2022-03-02 |work=Car and Driver}}</ref>

<gallery widths="200" heights="120" mode="packed" caption="Top 3 best-sellers in the U.S., 2021">
File:2021 Toyota Sienna Hybrid Limited, front 1.14.21.jpg|[[Toyota Sienna]] <br />(2020–present)
File:2021 Honda Odyssey (facelift), front 12.12.20.jpg|[[Honda Odyssey (North America)|Honda Odyssey]] <br />(2018–present)
File:2021 Chrysler Grand Caravan SE in Bright White, Front Left, 2021-03-25.jpg|[[Chrysler Pacifica (minivan)|Chrysler Pacifica/Voyager]] <br />(2019–present)
</gallery>

=== History ===

==== 1970s and 1980s ====
[[File:Dodge Caravan 1985 (35460915174).jpg|thumb|1985 [[Dodge Caravan]]]]

In the late 1970s, Chrysler began a development program to design "a small affordable van that looked and handled more like a car."<ref name="Smithsonian2">{{cite web|url= http://amhistory.si.edu/onthemove/collection/object_30.html |title=America on the Move - Dodge Caravan|publisher=Smithsonian Institution - National Museum of American History |access-date=2 May 2016}}</ref> The result of this program was the first American minivans based on the [[Chrysler minivans (S)|S platform]], the 1984 [[Plymouth Voyager]] and [[Dodge Caravan]].<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.allpar.com/threads/creating-the-plymouth-dodge-and-chrysler-minivan-the-caravan-voyager-development-story.228813/#post-1085222911 |title=Creating the Plymouth, Dodge, and Chrysler Minivan: The Caravan/Voyager Development Story |first=David |last=Zatz |work=Allpar |date=16 November 2020 |access-date=26 July 2022}}</ref> The S minivans debuted the minivan design features of front-wheel drive, a flat floor and a sliding door for rear passengers.<ref name="Smithsonian2" /><ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.businessinsider.com/minivan-history-ford-mustang-2017-8?r=AU&IR=T#by-1983-lee-iacoccas-chrysler-minivan-was-ready-8|title=The Ford Mustang and the minivan have an amazing shared history|work=Business Insider|access-date=31 March 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Coolest Minivans of All Time |url=https://www.autoblog.com/photos/coolest-minivans-history/ |access-date=31 March 2019 |website=autoblog.com |language=en}}</ref>

The term minivan came into use largely compared to size to [[full-size van]]s; at six feet tall or lower, 1980s minivans were intended to fit inside a typical garage door opening.<ref name="stepper-85-022">{{cite magazine |last=Stepler |first=Richard |date=February 1985 |title=New generation minivans |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=jQAAAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA75 |magazine=Popular Science |volume=226 |issue=2 |pages=74–75 |access-date=2 May 2016}}</ref> In 1984, ''The New York Times'' described minivans "the hot cars coming out of Detroit,"<ref name="memory2">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/15/business/driving-down-memory-lane-in-the-original-minivan.html |title=Driving Down Memory Lane in the Original Minivan|last=Kurczewski|first=Nick|date=15 December 2016 |newspaper=The New York Times|access-date=2 May 2017}}</ref> noting that "analysts say the mini-van has created an entirely new market, one that may well overshadow the... [[station wagon]]."<ref name="memory2" />

In response to the popularity of the Voyager/Caravan, [[General Motors]] released the 1985 [[Chevrolet Astro]] and [[GMC Safari]] badge-engineered twins, and Ford released the 1986 [[Ford Aerostar]]. These vehicles used a traditional [[rear-wheel drive]] layout, unlike the Voyager/Caravan.<ref name="stepper-85-022" /><ref>{{cite magazine |last=Lamm |first=Michael |date=April 1985 |title=PM drives GM's new minivan |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=YeQDAAAAMBAJ&q=Chevrolet+Astro+rear+wheel+drive&pg=PA48 |magazine=Popular Mechanics|volume=162|issue=4|pages=48, 168 |access-date=23 October 2018}}</ref>

To match the launch of minivans by American manufacturers, Japanese manufacturers introduced the [[Toyota Van]], [[Nissan Vanette]], and [[Mitsubishi Delica]] to North America in 1984, 1986, and 1987, respectively. These vehicles were marketed with the generic "Van" and "Wagon" names (for cargo and passenger vans, respectively).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Autotrader - page unavailable |url=https://www.autotrader.com/car-news/remember-the-japanese-vans-of-the-1980s |access-date=2022-03-02 |website=autotrader.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=2019-11-23 |title=A Van By Any Other Name: Mitsubishi "Wagon" |url=https://oldmotors.net/its-hip-to-be-square-mitsubishi-wagon/ |access-date=2022-03-02 |website=oldmotors.net}}</ref>

In 1989, the [[Mazda MPV]] was released as the first Japanese-brand minivan developed from the ground up specifically for the North American market. Its larger chassis allowed an optional V6 engine and four-wheel drive to fit. In contrast to the sliding doors of American minivans, a hinged passenger-side door was used. A driver-side entry was added for 1996, as Mazda gradually remarketed the model line as an early crossover SUV.

By the end of the 1980s, demand for minivans as family vehicles had largely superseded full-size station wagons in the United States.<ref>{{cite magazine |date=July 1990 |title=Best of the Minivans |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=pgMEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA41 |magazine=Kiplinger's Personal Finance |volume=44 |issue=7 |page=41 |access-date=26 December 2015}}</ref>

==== 1990s ====
[[File:Toyota Sienna -- 07-09-2009.jpg|thumb|1998–2000 [[Toyota Sienna]]]]

During the 1990s, the minivan segment underwent several significant changes. Many models switched to the front-wheel drive layout used by the Voyager/Caravan minivans. For example, Ford replaced the Aerostar with the front-wheel drive [[Mercury Villager]] for 1993 and the [[Ford Windstar]] for 1995. The models also increased in size due to the extended-wheelbase ("Grand") versions of the Voyager and Caravan, launched in 1987. An increase in luxury features and interior equipment was seen in the Eddie Bauer version of the 1988 Ford Aerostar, the 1990 [[Chrysler Town & Country]], and the 1990 [[Oldsmobile Silhouette]]. The third-generation Plymouth Voyager, Dodge Caravan, and Chrysler Town & Country – released for the 1996 model year – had an additional sliding door on the driver's side.

Following the 1990 discontinuation of the Nissan Vanette in the United States, Nissan also ended the sale of the second-generation [[Nissan Axxess]]. Nissan reentered the segment by forming a joint venture with Ford to develop and assemble a minivan that became the [[Nissan Quest]] and its Mercury Villager counterpart.

Toyota also introduced the [[Toyota Previa]] in 1990 to replace the Van/Wagon in North America. It was designed solely as a passenger vehicle sized to compete with American-market minivans. For 1998, the [[Toyota Sienna]] became the first Japanese-brand minivan assembled in North America, replacing the Toyota Previa in that market. For 1999, Honda introduced a separate version of the [[Honda Odyssey (North America)|Odyssey for North America]], with North America receiving a larger vehicle with sliding doors. These Japanese minivans targeted a higher price bracket as they were considerably larger and had better handling/horsepower over their domestic counterparts (i.e. Dodge Caravan).<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.edmunds.com/honda/odyssey/1999/review/ | title=1999 Honda Odyssey Review & Ratings &#124; Edmunds }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a15140304/1999-honda-odyssey-ex-long-term-road-test/ | title=1999 Honda Odyssey EX Long-Term Road Test | date=February 2000 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.motortrend.com/reviews/minivan-comparison-test/ | title=Motor Trend's Minivan Vacation - Road Test | work=MotorTrend | date=2 November 1998 }}</ref>

The highest selling year for minivans was in 2000, when 1.4 million units were sold. At that time, domestic minivans were produced in large volumes and often sold for cheaper than midsize cars, however Japanese minivans were more expensive than either.<ref>www.latimes.com%2Farchives%2Fla-xpm-1989-09-08-vw-1914-story.html&usg=AOvVaw1Eos6W5xYRLZtYUgW7_PJv&opi=89978449</ref>

==== 2000s and 2010s ====
[[File:2017 Dodge Grand Caravan GT, front 10.27.21.jpg|thumb|2017 [[Dodge Grand Caravan]]]]

In the 2000s, sales of minivans began to decrease. In 2013, the segment's sales reached approximately 500,000, one-third of its 2000 peak.<ref name="Mom_mobiles-CNBC2">{{cite web |last=Eisenstein |first=Paul A. |date=10 May 2014 |title='Mom mobiles' a shrinking category for automakers |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2014/05/10/mom-mobiles-a-shrinking-category-for-automakers.html |access-date=26 December 2015 |publisher=CNBC}}</ref> Market share of minivans in 2019 reached around 2% after a steady decline from 2004, when the segment recorded above 6% of share.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-02-18 |title=Minivan Market Share Is Now at 2 Percent In America, and It's Rapidly Getting Worse |url= https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2020/02/minivan-market-share-is-now-at-2-percent-in-america-and-its-rapidly-getting-worse/ |access-date=2022-03-06 |work=The Truth About Cars}}</ref>  It has been suggested that the falling popularity of minivans is due to the increasing popularity of SUVs and crossovers, as well as the minivan's increasingly undesirable image as a vehicle for older drivers or the [[soccer mom]] demographics.<ref name="Mom_mobiles-CNBC2" /><ref>{{cite news |last=Neil |first=Dan |date=17 October 2007 |title=Head of the Family |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |url=https://www.latimes.com/news/la-hy-neil17oct17-story.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180729013017/http://www.latimes.com/news/la-hy-neil17oct17-story.html |archive-date=29 July 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Cheney |first=Peter |date=2011-09-27 |title=Minivans are perfect. Why do we hate them? |language=en-CA |newspaper=The Globe and Mail |url= https://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-drive/culture/commuting/minivans-are-perfect-why-do-we-hate-them/article4256886/ |access-date=2022-03-06}}</ref> Manufacturers have responded by marketing minivans as premium vehicles as well as lowering production volumes, resulting in a long waiting list for minivans such as the Toyota Sienna.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://agirlsguidetocars.com/moms-take-toyota-sienna-minvan/ | title=Toyota Sienna Woodland Edition: Mom Approved - A Girls Guide to Cars | date=19 September 2023 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://agirlsguidetocars.com/list/toyota-grand-highlander-vs-sienna/ | title=Comparing Toyota Grand Highlander to the Toyota Sienna - A Girls Guide to Cars | date=9 February 2025 }}</ref> 

Despite the increasing popularity of three-row crossover SUVs, they have not been completely replaced minivans in form or function. The [[Chrysler Pacifica (crossover)|Chrysler Pacifica crossover SUV]] (the nameplate which was later reused for a minivan in 2017) which was released in 2004 had less passenger room with its third-row seats being considered too small, compared to that of the [[Chrysler Town & Country]] minivan which was also less expensive and more fuel-efficient. Even twenty years later while crossover SUVs had improved, minivans still hold such advantages; compared to the similar-sized [[Toyota Grand Highlander]] crossover SUV which is considerably more expensive when comparably equipped, the Toyota Sienna minivan has easier loading thanks to sliding doors and lower ground clearance, more cargo space behind the 3rd row, and better comfort for the 3rd-row passengers. <ref>{{cite web | url=https://agirlsguidetocars.com/moms-take-toyota-sienna-minvan/ | title=Toyota Sienna Woodland Edition: Mom Approved - A Girls Guide to Cars | date=19 September 2023 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://agirlsguidetocars.com/list/toyota-grand-highlander-vs-sienna/ | title=Comparing Toyota Grand Highlander to the Toyota Sienna - A Girls Guide to Cars | date=9 February 2025 }}</ref>

From 2000 onward, several minivan manufacturers adopted boxier square-based exterior designs. Compared to the 1990s, minivans have also been positioned as more upmarket vehicles with available advanced equipment, including power doors and liftgate; seating that folded flat into the cabin floor, rear-view camera; parking sensors; DVD/VCR entertainment systems; and in-dash navigation (entertainment and navigation only offered on higher-end trims). However, the Quest and Sedona only echo these design changes in their third and second respective generations. At the same time, Chrysler introduced fold-flat seating in 2005 (under the trademark “Stow-n’-go”){{cn|date=November 2023}}. 
Mazda's MPV did not feature power doors and was discontinued in 2017.
[[File:Ford Freestar parked outside Woodside, Utah.jpg|thumb|2004 [[Ford Windstar|Ford Freestar]]]]
Due to the market decline, North American sales of the [[Volkswagen Eurovan]] ceased in 2003. Ford exited the segment in 2006 when the [[Ford Freestar]] was canceled, Chrysler discontinued its short-wheelbase minivans in 2007, and General Motors left the market segment in 2009 with the cancellation of the [[Chevrolet Uplander]]. However, Volkswagen marketed the [[Volkswagen Routan]] (a rebadged [[Chrysler minivans (RT)|Chrysler RT minivans]]) between 2009 and 2013. In 2010, Ford started importing the commercial-oriented [[Ford Transit Connect]] Wagon from Turkey. A similar vehicle, the [[Mercedes-Benz Metris]], entered the North American market in 2016.

The [[Kia Sedona]], which was introduced for the 2002 model year, is notable for being the first minivan from a South Korean manufacturer in the region.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bedard |first=Patrick |date=2001-10-01 |title=Kia Sedona |url= https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a15137998/kia-sedona-first-drive-review |access-date=2022-03-02 |work=Car and Driver}}</ref> For 2007, [[Kia]] also introduced the three-row [[Kia Rondo]] compact MPV, where it was prominently marketed as a crossover due to its small size and the use of hinged rear doors.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Kia Rondo found! And reviewed |url=https://www.autoblog.com/2006/11/25/kia-rondo-found-and-reviewed/ |access-date=2022-03-02 |work=Autoblog |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2006-12-01 |title=2007 Kia Rondo |url= https://www.topspeed.com/cars/kia/2007-kia-rondo/ |access-date=2022-03-02 |website=TopSpeed.com}}</ref>

Another compact MPV released to the market was the [[Mazda5]] in 2004, a three-row vehicle with rear sliding doors. Mazda claimed the model "does not fit into any traditional (North American) segmentation."<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Barry |first=Keith |title=Review: Mazda 5 |language=en-US |magazine=Wired |url=https://www.wired.com/2012/02/mazda5/ |access-date=2022-03-04 |issn=1059-1028}}</ref> The [[Ford C-Max]] was released for 2013 as a [[Hybrid electric vehicle|hybrid electric]] and [[Battery electric vehicle|battery electric]] compact MPV with sliding doors. However, it did not offer third-row seating in North America.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ford cancels seven-passenger C-Max for U.S., focuses solely on Hybrid and Energi models |url= https://www.autoblog.com/2011/06/09/ford-cancels-seven-passenger-c-max-for-north-america-focuses-so/ |access-date=2022-03-04 |website=autoblog.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Healey |first=James R. |title=Test Drive: Ford C-Max is eco-licious fun |url= https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/columnist/healey/2012/12/08/test-drive-ford-c-max/1752359/ |access-date=2022-03-04 |work=USA Today}}</ref>