En arrivant au bureau ce matin, j'ai vu cet article dans le Globe and Mail. Assez incroyable! Tu as une minivan pour a peine plus cher que ma Yaris et moins cher que plusieurs Mazda3, Civic et compagnie !!

Daimler's cheap minivan: Brand new and no frills
Stripped-down version to sell for $17,995
GREG KEENAN

From Tuesday's Globe and Mail

DaimlerChrysler Canada Inc. is hoping to lure minivan buyers away from the used car lot and back to new car dealers with the cheaper version of the Dodge Caravan it will unveil today.

The auto maker is attempting to grab market share in one of the industry's key vehicle segments with a stripped-down version of the Caravan for $17,995.

Those who want a few bells and a couple of whistles will still be able to buy more expensive versions of the Caravan and the fully loaded Town and Country.

The new Caravan will have air conditioning, a 3.3-litre V6 engine with four-speed transmission and an AM/FM/CD player.

The vehicle will cost about $2,000 less than the current lowest-price Caravan.

The current version, which goes for $19,943, includes power locks, windows and mirrors, floor mats, sunscreen glass and speed control.

That compares with the fully loaded version of the Town and Country from DaimlerChrysler, which fetches $47,700.

"What we're hearing from customers is 'I'm having to go out and purchase a used vehicle because I can't [find] a truly inexpensive new one,' " Judy Wheeler, vice-president of marketing for DaimlerChrysler Canada Inc., said yesterday.

"We're going to test it and see how it sells."

Dealers have been urging DaimlerChrysler Canada to return to the 1990s when it had a similar minivan package that sold extremely well.

The move comes amid increasing competition in what is a declining, but still large segment of Canada's vehicle market.

Minivan sales as a whole fell 10 per cent in the first three months of the year -- the latest data available.

They're part of what industry analyst Dennis DesRosiers calls family vehicles, which held about half the vehicle market in Canada two decades ago, but now have declined to about one-quarter as sales of entry-level cars, trucks and sport utility vehicles have risen.

"It has become the classic family vehicle," Mr. DesRosiers said, but demographics have changed the nature of families and hence what they need in transportation.

About 47 per cent of Canadians are purchasing entry-level vehicles, while sales of family vehicles have slid to 27 per cent in two decades, he said.

Caravan sales fell 8 per cent in the first fourth months of the year to 19,856 from 21,493, although it's still the runaway leader in the segment, with no other vehicle surpassing sales of 8,000 as of the end of April.

That's partly because of the competition from other minivans and partly because of competition from other segments such as some sport utility vehicles, Ms. Wheeler said.

The new version of the Caravan will be sold this month and next, which are the big months for minivan sales and should be a big seller, she said.

"One of our test vehicles came into a dealership and it was sold in less than an hour," Ms. Wheeler said.

The Chrysler division of DaimlerChrysler AG has dominated the minivan market in Canada and all of North America since the company came out with the first minivan in the 1980s.

It has faced strong challenges in recent years at the high end of the market from the Odyssey from Honda Motor Co. Ltd. and the Sienna from Toyota Motor Corp.

But there's competition at the low-priced end as well, with some Ford Motor Co. of Canada Ltd. dealers advertising Freestar minivans for $18,999 and Kia Motors Canada offering the Sedona minivan at $19,995.

The rivalry in the segment has increased in recent months with the appearance of the Entourage from Hyundai Motor Co. of South Korea.

Top-selling minivans

2006* 2005
Dodge Caravan 19,856 21,493
Chevrolet Uplander 7,758 5,961
Pontiac Montana SV6 7,009 5,156
Ford Freestar 4,241 5,349
Toyota Sienna 3,770 4,108

*as of end of April

For $47,700, a minivan with a DVD entertainment centre . . .

Features

Long wheel base with Stow 'n Go seating and storage system

Power, heated, leather seats

Power adjustable pedals

Wood grain interior

Leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio and speed controls

Chrome wheels

3.8L V6 4-speed automatic

3-zone air conditioning 6-disc CD changer

DVD entertainment system in rear with wireless headphones

Power sliding doors and lift gate

Fog lights

Speed control

Traction control

Park assist

Keyless entry

Roof rack

Sunscreen glass

For $17,995, a minivan with a CD player. . .

Features

3.3 litre V6 engine

4-speed automatic transmission

Air conditioning

AM/FM/CD player

15-inch wheels

7-passenger seating

No incentives

'What we're hearing from customers is "I'm having to go out and purchase a used vehicle because I can't [find] a truly inexpensive new one." '

JUDY WHEELER, VICE-PRESIDENT OF MARKETING FOR DAIMLERCHRYSLER CANADA INC.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servl.../Business/home