By "value" pricing, I mean a family vehicle that doesn't cost as much as a Lambda. Minivans are cheap, and most families can afford them. The Lambdas are not cheap. Not all families are upper-middle class. People buy the el-cheapo Dodge Caravan in huge numbers for a reason. People who want a better minivan will opt for an Odyssey, not a Lambda. We can expect to hear of many dealers forced to turn people away because they wanted a "van". Contrary to popular belief, most minivan drivers and potential buyers are NOT ashamed to drive a vehicle with a sliding door any more than they are ashamed to have kids.
And the sliding door is a wonderful convenience; especially the remote feature. This, by itself, makes it worth it for our family to drive a Montana. You can NOT trust a child to open a hinged door if there are vehicles parked next to you. The next vehicle is almost always within striking distance, especially in crowded Calgary where we live. Dropping the kids off, you can just press the "Open" button on the console, and "Close" when they're gone. Picking them up, same thing. If your arms are full, you can manage to press the "Open" on the remote rather than put everything down to let the kids in. It's a huge opening; bigger than that of a hinged door, and the larger opening can be very convenient.