what it is? Photos of models

The dimensions of a minivan significantly exceed the dimensions of an ordinary "passenger car" (for example, a hatchback). This can be explained by two main features of this body:

• limiting internal volume;
• re-equipment of the cabin by folding or dismantling the seats for passengers.

Rear doors (can be sliding or hinged) and provide access to the rear row of seats. The interior of a minivan can accommodate, as a rule, eight people (the driver is the ninth).

Recently, the minivan has become increasingly popular among car owners. Indeed, such a car is roomy and makes it possible to transport the family at almost any convenient time. That is why cars of this type are called family cars and, in fact, they are such.

Minivans are bought mainly by those who have a large family. But in principle, such a car can also be purchased for passenger transportation (taxi, for example).

A bit of history

• The first minivan appeared back in 1914. It was the Italian Alfa 40/60 HP, which has a very original design and speeds up to 139 kilometers per hour. The salon was equipped with two compartments to separate the passenger and driver areas.
• In 1935, the Stout Scarab appeared in America - an unusual car with a narrow “back” and a streamlined “nose”. In eleven years, only nine units were produced.
• Soviet developers did not lag behind - in the "forties" they created their own analogue of Western minivans, which they called "Squirrel". It is characteristic that the engine in Belka was located in the rear.
• In 1956, the Italian concern Fiat developed the Multiplya minivan, in which double seats were arranged in three rows. At the same time, the second one could be transformed into a sleeping place, which is why, in fact, the creators positioned this model as a tourist one.
• For 20 years, everyone forgot about minivans.
• In 1984, Renault demonstrated the seven-seater Espace at the international exhibition, which founded a new era in the European automotive industry.
• In the same year, the American concern General Motors presented "Astro" and "Safari" - twin minivans.

Main advantages

There are several advantages in this case, all of them are extremely important for both the driver and passengers.

• First of all, it is the spaciousness and comfort in the cabin. Freedom, easy control, passengers do not get tired of long journeys.
• The car of this class is popular with tourists and admirers of outdoor recreation. And indeed, because it is very roomy, which allows you to put inside everything that you may need for a good rest or a long trip.
• Finally, the capacity mentioned above applies to both cargo and passengers. For example, if you temporarily remove the second and third tiers of seats from the cabin, then an overall refrigerator can easily fit inside.

Now a few words about the layout.

From this point of view, a minivan can be:

• hood;
• half-bonnet;
• cabover.

Let's get acquainted with each of the types in more detail.

1. In hooded vehicles, the engine is located directly under the hood.
2. In semi-hooded ones, as if in the middle between the interior and the hood.
3. In cabovers - in the center of the body (or behind, if you recall the Soviet "Belka").

According to recent crash tests, it is the second and third options that are safer, and therefore modern models are produced exclusively in one of them.

It is worth noting that the layout can still be a wagon, but it is used only in the production of minibuses.

As we learned from everything described above, a minivan is a type of passenger car designed for long trips and family vacations. If you know about this, then you are already 1% - a true connoisseur of the car. Why 1%? Yes, because a car is an extremely complex system in which there is still a lot of unknown.

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