 www.autos.adreviews.net
|
In the site:
Minivans are higher than normal sedans, compacts and station wagons, and are designed for maximum interior room; minivans often feature three seat rows and can seat 7 people or more.
Minivans typically have removable seats and with the seats removed, the cargo area in the larger minivans can hold a 4'x8' sheet of drywall or plywood flat.
However, Chrysler, under whom Matra had originally conceived the Espace, had also been developing the minivan concept themselves, and managed to release their own Dodge Caravan a year earlier than the Espace in 1983.
Though these two cars were developed almost entirely separately, they can each trace their roots back to the same point: the minivan design was originally conceived in the late-1970's by Chrysler UK in partnership with the French manufacturer Matra (who were also affiliated with Simca, the former French subsidiary of the Chrysler Corporation, who were sold in 1977 to the PSA Group (Peugeot-Citroën).
buying, wash, transport, search, accident, enterprise, new, lease, national, auto part, insurance, quote, budget, used, dealer, luxury, accessory, rental, max, hybrid, loan, auction, discount, for sale, cheap insurance, donation, warranty, audio, buy a car, cars, classic, finance
Today, many minivan manufacturers, including
Ford, GM, and DaimlerChrysler also offer their minivans as cargo vans rather than passenger vans.
In the USA, in order for the style of minivan to circumvent the 1980s
emission standards, the minivan had to be classified as a truck and could not have four doors like a car.
All minivans sold in
North America have sliding doors, with the exception of the first-generation Mazda MPV, Honda Odyssey and Isuzu Oasis.
Early US minivans such as the Dodge Caravan were three door configurations with a sliding curbside door.
History
Minivans were launched to the market almost simultaneously by Chrysler (Dodge Caravan) in late 1983 and by Renault (Renault Espace) in 1984.
Whether large SUVs such as the Chevrolet Suburban and Ford Expedition are affected by similar stigmas as their designers attempt to compete with minivan comfort and convenience remains to be seen.
In 1952 the Lloyd Motoren Werke, Bremen (a brand of the Borgward Group) introduced their Lloyd LT (Picture ), that was, in retrospect, even closer to the minivan of nowadays.
Early minivans came with four-cylinder motors, which although they were more efficient, were not able to meet the life span of bigger
engines.
The minivan also offered another change from the large van or the station wagon: front-wheel drive, usually found only on smaller automobiles.
Compact minivans were usually cars with tall bodies but based on the chassis and engines of a
small family car (in the case of the Scénic, the Renault Mégane).
Minivan is the more usual term in North American English whilst the other two terms predominate elsewhere in the English speaking world.
Minivan
A modern minivan - 2004 Chrysler Town Country Typical early minivan (a Dodge Caravan)
A minivan, people carrier, multi utility vehicle (MUV),or
multi purpose vehicle (MPV) is a type of vehicle which has a body that resembles a van , but which has rear side doors, rear side windows, and interior fittings to accommodate passengers similar to a
station wagon.
Minivan model prototype oddities
The concept version of the
Pontiac Trans Sport was small, and had a wingflap door on the side similar to the Delorean.
Car maintenance, lists of automobiles, companies, styling features, awards, body styles, classifications and safety. Classic and concept vehicles, fictional and flagship automobiles, car history, automotive industry, luxury vehicles, racing.
Buick GL8, sold in China
The trend for compact MPVs and mini MPVs began in Europe in the late 1990s with the launch of the Renault Scénic.
Current models 2006 full-size
Mazda MPV (left) and compact Mazda5 (right) minivans
Modern minivans are now very similar to station wagons except they have a higher profile.
|
You will find:: warranty, audio, for sale, cheap insurance, donation, transport, dealer, insurance, accident, discount, used, buy a car, cars, hybrid, national, budget, lease, wash, search, new, loan, rental, auto part, classic, auction, max, luxury, enterprise, quote, accessory, buying, finance
|
