Minivan

Monovolumen

Chrysler Voyager, first American monovolumen.

Renault Espace, first European minivan.

Aurus Arsenal, the most expensive monovolume in the world.

A minivan or monospace is a type of body that has the engine compartment, passenger compartment, and trunk integrated into a single unit, to make the most of space. optimal. It is distinguished from a car by the greater height (generally between 1.60 and 1.80 meters), and because the hood and front glass are practically parallel, unlike sports utility vehicles as an example. Buyers of minivans are usually large families, who need to use many seats and load many objects frequently, or who simply want a spacious vehicle.

It is called a "minivan" in Spanish because the car constitutes a single body, that is, a "one box" design (that is, the windshield and the hood are the same angle). The engine is housed in such a way that it protrudes very little in front of the front axle, and is mounted higher and even more inclined than in a passenger car, to free up space in the cabin. Depending on the model, the seats can be unhooked and re-hooked or moved on rails, folded or even removed. This "flexibility" allows the interior of the car to be configured according to the needs of the owner in each situation. All minivans have a tailgate, and it is usual for it to be very vertical to take advantage of the space that would be lost if the rear window were more inclined.

Etymology

In the Spanish language, a car with two volumes or bicuerpo with a slight lowering in the hood (minivan in English) is also called a "minivan", in which the two volumes are clearly distinguished: a volume for the hood with the engine and another volume for the passenger compartment, but with certain capacity characteristics in terms of number or versatility of the seats or the interior.

Minivan (derived from the word "van"), meaning van or small truck, is an American English term to describe a type of "minivan", usually either two-volume "split-body" or "split-body" designs. "one-box" minivan for maximum interior volume - and are taller than a sedan, hatchback, or estate. The term "minivan" is used in North America, including Mexico.

In the English language, within the automotive field, the minivan is referred to as «one-box design (Monospace or Monovolume)». In the United Kingdom United is called a “multi-purpose vehicle”, abbreviated MPV (multiple-use vehicle), or popularly “people carrier”. In other languages, "van" or "minivan" is generally used as a loan from English; In some cases, the two words present a conflict: "minivan" refers to a small minivan, and in others to any minivan.

In contrast, a small minivan like the Renault Twingo I or Daewoo Matiz are not considered minivans, although in the Twingo's case, modularity is more or less present. The fact is that in the extension of its first definition, the minivan is a family vehicle, it is not a small, urban and utility car. Therefore, the smaller vehicles known as MPVs today are part of the A-segment or B-segment (example: Opel Meriva, sometimes also called a small MPV).

History

DKW F89 L (1949-1962).

Volkswagen Type 2 introduced in 1950.

The original Renault Twingo, a monovolumen of segment A.

The DKW F89 L, manufactured from 1949 to 1962, was a design with front wheels ahead of the passenger cabin, a short, sloping streamlined hood, front-wheel drive, transverse engine, flat load floor throughout with seats and flexible cargo accommodations - the key design ingredients that describe the modern 'minivan' configuration popularized in such notable examples as the Renault Espace and Chrysler Voyager/Caravan.

Other precursors to minivans were compact vans. In 1950, the Volkswagen Type 2 adapted a bus-shaped body to the compact Type 1 (Beetle). The driver was positioned above the front wheels, sitting behind a "flat nose", with the engine mounted at the rear. This approach to the driver that sits on top of the front axle is known as a 'front cab'. The two hinged side doors were on the non-driver's side, with optional side doors on the driver's side.

Fiat built a smaller similar vehicle; Multipla based on the Fiat 600 with the same concept of front cab, engine layout and door design. Japanese and American manufacturers responded with compact vans beginning in the 1960s. Typically based on front-engined compact cars with a front-mid-engine layout, the engine was mounted behind or under the front seat and the front end with a flat, upright nose. Examples include the Ford Econoline (1961-1967), Chevrolet Van (1964-1970), Suzuki Carry, and Toyota Hiace.

When Volkswagen introduced a sliding side door on its van in 1968, then it had all the characteristics that would later come to define a "minivan": length, three rows of forward-facing seats, tailgate/tailgate design with Hinges similar to a station wagon, sliding side door, and based on passenger cars.

MPV Categories

In recent years, minivans have emerged in segments similar to those of passenger cars. Currently there are approximately four categories:

• Micromonovolumes, less than 3,60 meters long, corresponding to segment A. Examples: Hyundai Atos, Peugeot 1007, Opel Agila.
• Small monovolumes or minimonovolumes, in length between 3,80 and 4,05 meters, related to models of segment B. Examples: Citroën C3 Picasso, Fiat Idea, Renault Modus, Opel Meriva, Nissan Note.
• Compact monovolumes, from 4.15 to 4.50 meters long, similar in size to C segment tourism. They usually have five squares, although some measuring more than 4.35 meters can have two extra small squares. Examples: Citroën C4 Picasso, Ford C-Max, Opel Zafira, Peugeot 5008, Renault Scénic, Toyota Verso, SEAT Altea, Kia Carens. There are two cases of two row configurations of three seats: the Fiat Multipla and the Honda FR-V.
• Large monovolumes, in length above 4.60 meters, based on models of segment D. Seven or eight places are the norm, and many models have normal and long versions, which can exceed 5.00 meters. Examples: Citroën C8, Chrysler Voyager, Ford S-Max, Peugeot 807, Renault Espace, SEAT Alhambra.