Auto Express

People who go still keep their love



HONDA closed its Odyssey production plant in Japan last March, ending 27 years in the business of a popular model that combines style with economy.

That alone would have shown that movers are no longer the taste of the month and SUVs have won a different market segment.

Probably not… One reason the Odyssey was scrapped was attributed to a lack of interest in the passenger vehicle market, an area that in 2022 in Australia contributed a rather modest 1.1 per cent of total market sales. significantly.

But a small market share is no reason to give up. The human transportation sector has really boomed happily with about 12,000 units per year over the past decade, falling into the pit along with most cars at the peak of COVID-19 in 2020 with sales. Annual sales only 7730 pcs.

However, the category did not grow much during that decade. Large seven-seater SUVs are thought to have gained a lot of attention from buyers, although even these have not seen much growth during this period.

So where are the people who buy mover? Basically, they didn’t move. Most still buy multi-row cars with some buyers looking for more mid- and large-size SUVs with a capacity of 7 seats, even the expanding ‘large’ SUV segment.

There are shipping businesses that rely on vans to efficiently transport people and luggage while this category attracts interest from freight businesses and especially those who want a vehicle. Versatile transportation – commuter to work during the week and family transport on the weekend, much like a dual-cab audience.

Looking back, in 2014 the consumer car segment accounted for 0.9% (10,220 units) of the total market (1.1 million units).

It remains flat (1.1% in 2022) although the year-to-date figure for 2023 has increased to 1.6% for a large shipment of Kia Carnivals (up 150% in 2022) and Volkswagen Multivans (up 229% year on year). coin).

So competition with full-size SUVs – those with seven or more seats – persists, but it doesn’t change the market share of either.

The large SUV segment – ​​which includes key players and passenger carriers like the Toyota Pado, Kia Sorento, Ford Everest and Isuzu MU-X – is up 17.9% year-to-date.

By comparison, the passenger vehicle segment grew 49% in the same two-month period in early 2023.

While the figures are somewhat lackluster due to a spike in Carnival and Multivan sales in February due to arrivals, the passenger car market remains stable, if not strong, and not must be a market that the producer will leave.

In the past 12 months, three models have been taken off the market – the most surprising being Honda’s Odyssey.

But when Honda left, the others – the LDV G10 and Hyundai iMax – were quickly replaced by the LDV Mifa (and the higher-end Mifa 9) and the Hyundai Staria.

In 2017, the Odyssey was the second best-selling passenger car in Australia with 17.4% market share and 2184 new owners. It was dwarfed by – and this remains to this day – the then-Kia Carnival had a 46.7% market share. In 2023, it has 82.8% market share.

Seven years ago, buyers chose from 16 models (13 models under $60,000 and three above) while today there are six models priced under $70,000 and eight models over $70,000, of which five are products. Mercedes-Benz products.

No newcomer motives – from any brand – were in sight.

Meanwhile, Honda offers a seven-seat version of the CR-V in Australia but has not confirmed whether it will produce a replacement for the Odyssey or introduce multi-seat models such as the Passport and Pilot (available in the US) and the BR-V (available in the US). Thailand).

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