Minivan
[7][8] Minivans often have a 'one-box' or 'two-box' body configuration, a higher roof, a flat floor, sliding doors for rear passengers, and high H-point seating.
Minivans cut into and eventually overshadowed the traditional market of the station wagon and grew in global popularity and diversity throughout the 1990s.
Since the 2000s, their reception has varied in different parts of the world: in North America, for example, they have been largely eclipsed by crossovers and SUVs, while in Asia they are commonly marketed as luxury vehicles.
Alongside adopting the form factor introduced by Chrysler minivans, the configuration allows for less engine intrusion and a lower floor in the passenger compartment.
In line with larger full-size vans, unibody construction has been commonly used (the spaceframe design of the Renault Espace and the General Motors APV minivans being exceptions).
[25] The early 1960s saw Ford and Chevrolet introduce "compact" vans for the North American market, the Econoline Club Wagon and Greenbrier respectively.
[30] In the late 1970s, Chrysler began a development program to design "a small affordable van that looked and handled more like a car.
[35] In 1984, The New York Times described minivans "the hot cars coming out of Detroit,"[36] noting that "analysts say the mini-van has created an entirely new market, one that may well overshadow the... station wagon.
By the end of the 1980s, demand for minivans as family vehicles had largely superseded full-size station wagons in the United States.
An increase in luxury features and interior equipment was seen in the Eddie Bauer version of the 1988 Ford Aerostar, the 1990 Chrysler Town & Country, and the 1990 Oldsmobile Silhouette.
The third-generation Plymouth Voyager, Dodge Caravan, and Chrysler Town & Country – released for the 1996 model year – had an additional sliding door on the driver's side.
[41][43][44] From 2000 onward, several minivan manufacturers adopted boxier square-based exterior designs and began offering more advanced equipment, including power doors and liftgate; seating that folded flat into the cabin floor; DVD/VCR entertainment systems; in-dash navigation and rear-view camera (both only offered on higher-end trims); and parking sensors.
[52][53] The 1984 Renault Espace was the first European-developed minivan developed primarily for passenger use (as the earlier DKW and Volkswagen used their commercial van platforms in a minibus variant).
Beginning development in the 1970s under the European subsidiaries of Chrysler,[54] the Espace was intended as a successor for the Matra Rancho, leading to its use of front-hinged doors.
General Motors imported the Oldsmobile Silhouette (branded as the Pontiac Trans Sport), later marketing the American-produced Opel/Vauxhall Sintra.
In 1994, badge engineered series of Eurovans was introduced, produced by Sevel Nord and marketed by Citroën, Fiat, Lancia, and Peugeot.
The Eurovans were built with two sliding doors; the gearshift was located on the dashboard to increase interior space, and a petal-type handbrake was adopted.
A two-row, six-seater MPV with a 3+3 seat configuration borrowing its name from an older minivan, it is notable for its highly controversial design.
Based on the C-segment Mégane platform, it offered the same multi-use and flexibility aspects as the larger MPVs but with a much smaller footprint.
After the success of the Renault Scénic, other makers have developed similar European-focused products, such as the Opel Zafira that offered three-row seating, Citroën Xsara Picasso and others.
[58][59] Before the birth of minivans with modern form factors, tall wagon-type vehicles with large seating capacity in Japan were known as light vans.
Current minivans marketed in South Korea are the Kia Carnival and Hyundai Staria, along with imported options such as the Toyota Sienna (originally for North America) and later generations of Honda Odyssey.
Examples of luxury MPV models include Mercedes-Benz V-Class, Lexus LM, Buick GL8, Hongqi HQ9, Toyota Alphard, Volvo EM90 and the Zeekr 009.
Examples: Category:Compact MPVs ( 112 ) A leisure activity vehicle (abbreviated LAV), also known as van-based MPV[90] and ludospace in French,[91] is the passenger-oriented version of small commercial vans primarily marketed in Europe.
Leisure activity vehicles are typically derived from supermini or subcompact car platforms, differing from mini MPVs in body design.
To maximize interior space, LAVs feature a taller roof, more upright windshield, and longer hood/bonnet with either a liftgate or barn doors to access the boot.
Though sharing underpinnings with superminis, subcompacts, and mini MPVs, using an extended wheelbase can make leisure activity vehicles longer than those from which they are derived.
They are usually based on a compact pickup truck with body-on-frame chassis and rear-wheel drive to maximize its load capacity and durability while maintaining low manufacturing costs.
[94] Modern equivalent of AUV is the Toyota Innova, an MPV that is the direct successor to the Kijang which in its first two generations were built with body-on-frame construction.
[95] With the decline of the minivan/MPV category in many regions, such as North America and Europe, in the mid-2010s, SUVs and crossovers with three rows of seating became popular alternatives.
