In Australia, if we might generalise for a second, it looks as if folks movers (aka MPVs or minivans) have lengthy been reserved for 3 sorts of patrons: these with significantly massive households; resorts that want shuttles; and rental fleets.
Attempt to persuade a typical Aussie to purchase certainly one of these boxy autos slightly than a trendier SUV and also you’ll typically be met with a glance of disgust, regardless of how a lot they loved the Kia Carnival they rented on their final interstate vacation…
Folks movers by no means reached the dizzying gross sales heights right here that they did in markets like Europe and the US, each locations the place their recognition has pale as SUV demand has continued to develop.
In Australia, long-running nameplates just like the Toyota Tarago and Honda Odyssey have disappeared, whereas the Kia Carnival has consolidated its share of the folks mover market section, which now sits at simply over 73 per cent. Thoughts you, it’s not an enormous section, and is outsold by even mid-size passenger automobiles.
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However head over to China and Japan, and also you’ll see folks movers in every single place. And so they’re not simply kid-haulers designed to get grubby.
Myriad manufacturers supply more and more lavish four-seat variants with inside dividers, enormous digital screens, fridges, and seats that may warmth, cool and therapeutic massage you. A bit completely different from dad’s previous Ford Spectron, then.
Whereas there are luxe folks movers supplied by Nissan and Toyota in Japan, they haven’t come right here, not less than formally – Toyota even axed its Granvia folks mover regionally earlier this 12 months.
Flying the Japanese flag solo in Australia’s folks mover section is the luxurious Lexus LMlaunched right here in 2024.
As for the Chinese language manufacturers, it’s a unique story completely.
LDV launched the electrical MIFA 9 in 2023, with a base value north of $100,000. Then, early this 12 months, Zeekr began delivering its electrical 009priced from $135,900 earlier than on-roads.
Neither have set the gross sales charts on fireplace.
LDV delivered simply 12 examples of the MIFA 9, technically an electrical model of its extra reasonably priced MIFA folks mover, in 2023, adopted by 20 in 2024, and simply three this 12 months.
Zeekr has delivered a extra spectacular 119 examples of the 009 this 12 months, however that’s nonetheless fewer than what Kia will ship of its Carnival in a given week.
After all, the 009 breathes rarified air with its base value north of $100k – even following the announcement of a extra reasonably priced base grade final month – and an inside that makes the Carnival’s admittedly good cabin look slightly pedestrian.
Regardless of their low gross sales volumes, nevertheless, these two Chinese language folks movers seem to have emboldened different Chinese language manufacturers to carry their very own dear folks movers right here.
As probably the most luxuriously appointed members of their respective model lineups, these folks movers can arguably supply a ‘halo impact’. However a few of these manufacturers are genuinely claiming there’s sturdy demand for these merchandise and that they are often gross sales drivers.
“Sure, in Australia there are only a few manufacturers which offer an MPV. That is fairly an analogous scenario in China again to possibly 10 years,” Cheney Liang, deputy common supervisor of GAC Australia, instructed CarExpert in November.
“Earlier than the M8 (launched in China), it was simply the (Honda) Odyssey as the preferred one. However after the M8 goes to the market, it really expands the market, the market turns into greater than earlier than.
“I believe after the M8 involves the Australian market, there will likely be some change within the clients as a result of at this second for the Carnival… A lot of the clients have an Asian background, however it has already modified somewhat bit. The Aussies begin to purchase (folks movers).”
His model’s M8 has solely simply gone on sale right here, changing into the one plug-in hybrid folks mover within the Australian market. It’s priced from $76,590 earlier than on-road prices, and in Luxurious trim has the requisite govt transport options like heated, ventilated and massaging second-row captain’s chairs with energy leg rests.
Xpeng has arguably probably the most interesting-looking folks mover of the lot with the X9, due right here throughout 2026.
Its native distributor TrueEV claims it recorded sufficient curiosity within the car to make the case with Xpeng HQ in China that the X9 could possibly be offered right here efficiently.
“We’ve taken a big variety of pre-orders and deposits for the X9. That demand is all however confirmed,” TrueEV CEO Jason Clarke instructed CarExpertthis month.
Pricing and specs are anticipated to be introduced in the course of the first quarter of 2026, earlier than buyer deliveries start from the second quarter.
The X9 is obtainable in China with both electrical (EV) or extended-range electrical (EREV) powertrains, and with its 800V electrical structure and air suspension it’s shaping up as extra of a rival to the Zeekr 009.
Denza seems rather less obsessed with its potential new folks mover.
The D9 obtained highway car kind approval in Australia this month, however the brand new (to Australia) model has but to formally affirm it for our market.
“We might have launched with the D9, which is the folks mover that they’re utilizing in Indonesia, Malaysia and different markets. However we wished to go for the large section,” defined Denza Australia chief working officer Mark Harland to CarExpertearlier this month. His model is as an alternative launching with a pair of enormous off-road SUVs.
“We’re nonetheless taking a look at if and after we carry that in, as a result of it’s not an enormous section, particularly on the luxurious finish.
“We need to set up the community, set up our presence with the B5 and B8 earlier than we take a look at the D9 and the explanation we did the (car kind approval) on the D9 is as a result of it’s a automobile that’s accessible to us in as a right-hand drive automobile, and it’s doing nicely in Malaysia and Indonesia and different right-hand drive markets.”
In brief, Denza Australia might import it as a result of it’s accessible, and it doesn’t look like a mode the native arm would have in any other case been lobbying for.
It’s been accredited for Australia in electrical guise, although plug-in hybrid energy is obtainable in China. Additionally accessible in China, albeit solely with the PHEV powertrain, is a palatial Pioneer Version with no third row and an enormous divider between the primary and second rows fitted with an built-in 32-inch display.
Up to now, solely Lexus gives such an inside configuration in Australia.
However wait, there’s extra!
GWM has confirmed it’ll launch the fifth of its Chinese language-market manufacturers right here, the premium Wey marque, autos from which – like GWM, Haval, Tank and Ora – will likely be offered underneath the GWM banner.
CarExpert understands the Wey G9 – a big, plug-in hybrid, all-wheel drive folks mover – will make its option to Australian showrooms.
Of the opposite Chinese language manufacturers in Australia, not all have a big folks mover in different markets.
Geely has the 5.3m-long Galaxy L380 EV with styling impressed by the Airbus A380 and non-obligatory air suspension; there’s additionally an EREV model, the Geely Galaxy V900.
MG sells a rebadged LDV MIFA 9 in some markets, whereas additionally fielding a barely smaller folks mover because the MG Maxus 7 in Thailand. Likewise, BYD gives the Xia, which is intently associated to the Denza D9; it’s offered because the BYD M9 in some markets.
Chery, Deepal, Omoda Jaecoo and Leapmotor don’t at present have folks movers, however there are numerous different Chinese language manufacturers not but in Australia that do. It’s potential, then, that as an increasing number of Chinese language manufacturers announce Australian plans, some will throw their hat into the folks mover ring.
Even with out them, there’ll be quite a lot of gamers combating for just below 15,000 annual gross sales.
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