GM currently holds 20 percent of the mid-van market--a 1.1 million unit segment of vehicles priced between $21,000 and $30,000. The Relay and Terraza will be competing against the Honda Odyssey, Toyota Sienna, Chrysler Town & Country, Dodge Grand Caravan, Ford Freestar, Kia Sedona, (U.S. only) Mercury Monterey, Nissan Quest, and Mazda MPV.
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| With its ability to carry seven people and plenty of cargo, the Terraza crossover sport van (CSV) completes Buick's truck lineup. (Photo: General Motors of Canada) |
"Terraza positions Buick in the growth area of the mid-van market," said Roger Adams, Buick general manager. "Although the overall segment has declined slightly the last few years, sales of $30,000-plus vehicles have grown from 19 percent to 24 percent of the mid-van market."
With its ability to carry seven people and plenty of cargo, the Terraza crossover sport van (CSV) complements Rendezvous and Rainier in the Buick truck lineup by combining SUV features, like bold front-end styling, with the functionality required by customers in the mid-van segment.
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| With the Relay, Saturn hopes to intercept many first-time buyers to the mid-van segment and attract those who might be interested in an import brand. (Photo: General Motors of Canada) |
The Relay, on the other hand, finally provides Saturn customers with a seven-passenger vehicle, said Jill Lajdziak, Saturn vice president for sales, service and marketing. "It will appeal particularly to those customers who need the versatility of a mid van but have a strong preference for SUV styling."
With the Relay, Saturn can intercept many of the first-time buyers to the mid-van segment and attract those who might be interested in an import brand, she said. "Import mid-van buyers on average are younger and more affluent; more than 70 percent have children under age 16, versus approximately 50 percent for domestic mid-van buyers."