Chrysler CEO says there is a minivan 'resurgence' but stays quiet on product plans

In this article STLA Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNT Matt McAlear, chief executive officer of Chrysler and Dodge, during the 2026 New York International Auto Show in New York, US, on Wednesday, April 1, 2026. Bing Guan | Bloomberg | Getty Images Chrysler and Dodge CEO Matt McAlear wants the world to know that the minivan is not dead. Far from it, he said, at the New York International Auto Show, where he showed off the latest version of the Pacifica Pinnacle, the highest-end trim of the brand's sole product line. The Chrysler brand — once one of the biggest names in the auto industry — only sells a single family of minivans, which many take as a sign of the brand's impending demise. Chrysler, which has been promising new products for years, said it will share more plans at parent company Stellantis ' investor day on May 21 in Auburn Hills, Michigan. McAlear didn't elaborate further but said the brand had "a lot of things in the works" and touted its only vehicle. "We absolutely see the minivan market growing, and we believe there's an opportunity for Chrysler to continue its growth year over year," McAlear said. Chrysler is the best-selling brand in the segment, he added. Minivan resurgence? Chrysler is often credited with inventing the minivan, or at least mainstreaming it in the United States in the early 1980s. Rivals followed, but many have since abandoned it. Since the 1990s, minivans have steadily lost ground to SUVs, which are considered sportier and more adventurous. Minivan sales were a mere 1.7% of the market in 2017, according to Edmunds. In 2025, they were up to 2.4%. Sales numbers from Chrysler and its few competitors in this segment indicate growing interest in the adaptive and often affordable "multipurpose vehicle," as the minivan is sometimes called. The average transaction price for a large SUV is $77,215, according to Edmunds. The average minivan price , meanwhile, is $48,269 — just above the overall industry average cost for a new...