After debuting way back in the 1984 model year, minivans have seen their share of ups and downs. But in 2026, the minivan is enjoying a North American renaissance, finding new uses and attracting different types of buyers.

In the United States, 2025 sales were up 20% to 395,352, more than a quarter of which (110,006) were Chrysler Pacificas. In Canada, the growth was even more impressive. Automakers sold 42,377 minivans in Canada in 2025, up 34% over the previous year, according to Automotive News.

A dominant family vehicle in the 1980s and ’90s, minivans became a niche segment, representing less than two percent of the new-vehicle market in recent years.

What’s Driving the Minivan Revival?

Chrysler CEO Chris Feuell told Automotive News that after double-digit surges in the first six months of 2025, minivan sales “settled into a more normal pace in the second half of the year.”

Feuell said Stellantis provided additional marketing and sales support in an effort to boost North American sales. Throughout much of 2025, CarEdge Best Deals featured low-APR financing offers for the Pacifica and recently resurrected Voyager.

Feuell said Stellantis slowed the pace of the assembly line in Windsor for about six weeks “until we got a better understanding of how the tariffs were going to be impacting the business.”

“It allowed us to restore the inventory levels to healthier levels and improve our mix and thus improve our turn rates,” she said.

Toyota Sienna Sales Surge

Automotive News reports that Toyota Sienna sales rose 35% to 101,486 in the U.S. last year, where the Sienna trailed only the Pacifica. The Honda Odyssey finished third in the U.S., up 10% to 88,462 sales.

Toyota Canada Director of Product Planning, Sales and Inventory Planning and Marketing Rebecca Wu said a minivan’s versatility makes it a popular choice among consumers.

“Think about the benefits of a van,” she said. “A lot of our customers are using it for outdoor activities and sometimes it might even be for their families. But sometimes it’s even for home improvement projects.”

Costly SUVs Are Pricing Out Families

SUV prices have steadily climbed since 2021, with three-row options outpacing overall car price inflation. As once-mainstream options like the Suburban and Expedition become more associated with luxury pricing, families looking to pack into a single vehicle have turned to minivans like the Chrysler Pacifica, Toyota Sienna, and Kia Carnival.

The rise of hybrid minivans has also changed the minivan’s reputation from gas guzzler to economical, Earth-friendly choice. Toyota’s hybrid Sienna is also available with all-wheel drive, a combination northern families would have once only dreamed of. For 2026, the hybrid Toyota Sienna gets up to 36 miles per gallon. Ten years ago, the Sienna was good for just 21 miles per gallon. Times are changing!

Minivans Are Officially Cool Again

From the spaceship vibes of the Kia Carnival to the heavily modified minivans of YouTube, it’s clear that three rows are no longer just for huge, budget-minded families. Recent industry announcements show there’s more to come.

In August, Stellantis unveiled the Chrysler Pacifica Grizzly Peak Concept, which it called “the Ultimate Adventure Minivan.” Think AWD, a lifted suspension, and off-road tires.

Even luxury brand Genesis is playing with the idea of getting into the minivan game. They recently shared their Jet On Wheels minivan concept, which would be as shocking as the Cybertruck if it ever made it to production. Don’t count on it, though—it’s considered a design experiment. Still, the fact that Genesis is thinking about minivans shows how far we’ve come from the Chryslers of the ’90s.

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