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The French upper crust once lived so luxuriously the masses decided to chop their heads off, perhaps hoping to find gold inside the aristocratic piñatas. Yet the dour, simple Germans have owned the luxury market. Can an MPV place the French back atop the throne of conspicuous consumption? Sadly, no, because it's just a concept. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5840293&view=rss&microfeed=true Photos at Autoblog.it appear to show the upcoming seven-passenger Toyota Prius MPV... moving on. More »
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Opel and Vauxhall are trying to trick us into saying the just-revealed Opel Meriva is cool by giving it suicide doors. It won't work because it's still a giant jelly bean. But man does it have some cool doors. More »
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There's no hiding that the Chinese love them some Buicks, so what's better than shoving seven Chinese into a new Orlando-based Buick MPV Concept that's debuting at the Shanghai Auto Show next week. More »
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A landslide 92% of voters thought that $15,000 was a truly Nice Price for the 1967 Fiat Dino, and we can't argue with that. Today we're going to look at the wondrous effects of depreciation. More »
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We brought you word of the Joule all-electric MPV yesterday, a South African entrant in the new electric car wars, and now we have live shots of the Joule on the Paris show floor. The little Afrikaaner is produced by a new tech company called Optimal Energy and was designed by a former Jag stylist — though we're going to have to take their word for it. According to Optimal, the Joule is all-electric with motor-driven front wheels and in-wheel magnetic propulsion at the rear, delivering a range of 125 miles on a single battery pack or 250 miles with two — impressive. We also like how Joule is a play on South Africa's notorious blood-diamond trade as well as a reference to energy — if you can't make fun of yourself, who can you make fun of? Presser after the jump. More »
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Not that we really knew what the outgoing model looked like, but apparently the Indonesian-built Toyota Innova is getting some minor cosmetic tweaks. Currently available only in exotic markets like India, Malaysia, and of course Indonesia, the Innova is a popular vehicle for those wanting a spacious 5-passenger MPV with a frugal gas or diesel engine. Though we still don't expect you to have heard of it, as even a half-Filipino automotive journalist such as myself wasn't aware that it's the best selling new vehicle in the Philippines until doing some research, keep in mind that spacious MPVs with frugal engines might suddenly be in demand in places other than southeast Asia. More »
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We've already seen the new Fiat Fiorino delivery van and now we have pics of the passenger version. The new version carries over the same general look from the front as the Citroen Nemo and Peugeot Bipper, which are essentially the same vehicle. From the side the blackened C-Pillar and raked window design clearly differentiate it from its platform partners. Speaking of platform partners, how tall is that booth model? More »
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Possibly reaching out to the dekotora crowd, Toyota seems to be taking the next generation of its most awkwardly named MPV in a distinct direction with a gigantic and protruding front fascia. The Toyota Alphard, which is named for a star but sounds like the first mentally challenged person or a movie about Alf in prison, is what our vans would look like if we hadn't abandoned the Previa. In Japan, the current gen includes a hybrid version and the Royal Lounge Alphard, which has only four seats. If you look closely at the scans from this random Japanese magazine, you'll see airline-like captain's chairs with a possible full recline feature. More »
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When we hear "100 mph" and "Sheriff's Deputy" in the same story we tend to expect it to finish with some sort of horrific wreck or jail, so we were a bit shocked when we found this story of a car chase that resulted in a little girl named Claire Jeon. It all started when Davis County Deputy Cory Cox clocked a Mazda MPV doing 95 mph on Utah Highway 89. By the time he caught up with the van it had gotten as high as 105 mph and Yeojn Hong, the soon-to-be-mother, was about to get new baby smell all over the interior. More »
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Overseas models continually pop up on US streets, often as the chosen rides for homesick diplomats, sometimes as cross-border jobbies from Canada or Mexico and frequently as test vehicles fielded by automaking engineers. Since there's been talk of Ford CEO Allan Mulally being quite hot to bring some of Ford Europe's finest kinetic designs to the US, spotting an S-Max MPV on the streets of LA may be enough to get tongues wagging. Of course the unfavorable exchange rate makes such a prospect of a Euro-built Ford import unlikely. Now, if FoMoCo sets up an S-Max werks in Mexico, LA will be maxed out inside a year. (Thanks to Rick Rubin for the def tip.) More »
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Although the "Conquest" version of Renault's little Sc nic MPV was introduced at the Geneva Motor Show, we're just getting our first chance to take a gawk at this little people mover. It's what Renault's calling a "car designed with leisure pursuits and the great outdoors in mind. Its bold styling resembles that of an off-roader." The key word there is "resembles" because although it's got a greater ground clearance and suspension than the standard Sc nic, those aluminum alloy wheels give away the reality of this made-for-street people seater. Full press release on availability and pricing after the jump. – Ray Wert More »
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Somewhere in Europe, there's a buyer waiting for a high-roof Ford Focus that can trudge through snow like a mini Unimog, while hauling the kids, pets and groceries home from Sainsbury's. Soon, they'll be able to take delivery. Ford's been working on this Focus C-Max allroad for a while, as spy shots have testified. Now, according to Autocar, the four-by MPV is just about a year away. And the soft-roader will reportedly have better on-road manners than goat-trail skills. And that's about as expected. – Mike Spinelli More »
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AutoWeek gives a what-might-have-been report on Mazda's decision to bring the large CX-9 crossover to market over the redesigned MPV minivan. Mazda's senior veep for product development laid out the reason for the shift from minivan to crossover in very certain terms. Thanks to fewer incentives and higher transaction values, companies just make more damn money on crossovers. But what about the consumer? Thus, Jalopnik's question of the day. All factors being equal, would you rather drive a CX-9 or the new MPV, a Japanese domestic market model? Maybe even assume you care either way. – Mike Spinelli More »
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The jaded 'ol Jalops were impressed with the 2007 Kia Rondo MPV we saw and poked at in LA and Detroit: the cargo room, the eerily not-injurious legroom in the third row, the low sticker price for a V6. So we'll be paying extra special attention to the company's fashion concept — the SX — which will be unveiled at the Chicago show next week. It'll have a body kit, sport-tuned suspension and some manner of interior mods. Will it see the cover of Sport Compact anytime soon? We let you know after we sweep for turbos. – Mike Spinelli More »
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Commenter pres just recently asked, "When did the Eagle Summit suddenly become en vogue again?" We understand if pres missed the boat, although the correct answer to his query is, "When did anything that was sold other another name as the Mitsubishi Space Wagon ever go out of vogue?" What's more, its antecedents, contemporaries and successors were also sold variously as the Colt Vista, the Mitsubishi Chariot (A Chariot, people — if that's not Super Great, we don't know what is), the Expo LRV and even the Hyundai Santamo and Kia Carstar, and you just know when it's time for Apollo to play family man, he rolls correct across Hellenic skies in one of these babies. Meanwhile, we're amped to drive the spiritual descendent of the Carstar, the space-wagon-thirst-quenching Kia Rondo. Anything else, pres? – Davey G. Johnson More »
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Maybe, just maybe, if Toyota had introduced the Picnic on these shores... Maybe just maybe, if they had introduced the Picnic on these shores twelve years earlier... And maybe, just maybe, if D. Boon had been riding in one instead of sleeping in the back of a van on a fateful December night in Arizona back in '85... Well then, maybe, just maybe, D. Boon would still be alive today. Realizing this, after the Picnic's discontinuation in 2001, Toyota unit Daihatsu produced the Boon X4 in tribute, our badly-photochopped version of which was pronounced "a trip" by none other than Boon's old bandmate Mike Watt. Sure, a Boon ain't no Picnic, but really, what is? – Davey G. Johnson More »
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The most alluring feature of Ford Europe's new C-Max MPV, debuting at the Bologna show this week, may be the Z-shaped handbrake lever (barring that, the boomerang-shaped door handles). But it's still a more precise and stylish entry than its sister ship, the Mazda5, which is the closest we'll get to the C-Max stateside. It's one of Euro Ford's new "kinetic" designs, which is like Ford America's "Dave" visual language with 2/3 less safety razor and 1/3 more nail clipper . – Mike Spinelli More »
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Sadly, Ford's Bold Moves(TM) don't involve bringing the S-Max MPV to the states. And that's a gol darn shame, considering the newest of Ford Europe's "kinetic design" structures was just awarded "Car of the Year 2007" by a panel of 58 of the continent's sexiest automotive journalists. In addition to being an attractive take on the one-box, seven-seat, utility wagon segment, the S-Max was also called out for its safety performance (i.e., NCAP gave it five stars for adult occupant protection) and features (e.g., adaptive cruise control, active suspension and automatic collision avoidance). No doubt Euro Ford's becoming the company's standout division, but can its design and technology influence trickle Westward to Detroit? Full stop. – Mike Spinelli More »
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Nope, it's not VW's long-awaited Tiguan small SUV; the photo above is the first we've seen of VW's upcoming GolfPlus Cross. Just like the Polo Cross before it, the Golf version will get higher ground clearance and most likely the company's Haldex AWD system, giving it light off-road capability (read: Subaru, circa 1979). Sorry kids, it's Europe only. Maybe when they remake the Subaru Brat ... (More pics on the jump page.) More »
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German auto media is reporting the Fengshang MPV, a high-roof econobox built by China's Jiangaling motors, is headed to Europe this November. It'll reportedly be released under the Landwind brand, which is most famously home to an SUV that looks awfully (the operative word) like a mid-1990s Honda Passport and turns into a John Chamberlain sculpture on impact. No word on whether the ~$12,000 model will be introduced at the Paris show, or if it'll get crash test ratings befitting a car built after 1988. More »
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While European football moms wait by their Skype phones for word Citroen's seven-seater C4 Picasso minivan/MPV's been unveiled at the Paris motor show, Carscoop procured shots of what looks to be that car's smaller sibling — the five-seater Picasso. Word is the model will see its star turn at next year's Geneva show. The cameraphone shots appear to have been taken inside some manner of Citroen facility, where employees are enjoying a nice absinthe break. At least we'd like to think they are. More »
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At the 2006 Guangzhou motor show this morning (or is that yesterday afternoon?), Nissan unveiled the MPV-like Livina Geniss wagon that'll be the cornerstone of its China strategy (along with partner Dongfeng), and the patriarch of a new global family of cars. Named Jun Yi (meaning: boxy car that's one letter away from the wife of Woody Allen) in Chinese, the Livina will be the first Nissan to be sold in China, later this year, before a global launch in 2007. No word on a US version, though some say we could be looking at the new Chevy Vega. (And by "some" we mean, uh, no one.) More »
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China's Chery motors last week uncovered the car many say will be its first US-bound export — the V525 crossover. It's the latest incarnation of an MPV-style car entrepreneur Malcolm Bricklin has said his Visionary Vehicles company will import to the US beginning in 2007. The V525 was reportedly developed with a dream team that included Lotus and Italy's Bertone design house, and sports a 127 hp, 2.3-liter engine sourced from Mitsubishi. Bricklin has always said his imports will offer the features of a $30,000 car for under $20,000, and the V525 is reported to be loaded with ABS with electronic brake distribution (EBD), traction control, nav system and digital entertainment. Chery says the crossover, which will go on sale there this month, will be offered in North America, but provided no further details — and hasn't confirmed Bricklin's participation in its US business. Interesting times, indeed. (More pics after the jump) More »
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Some minivans in Japan will soon look ever-so-slightly less like they're carting the intramural soccer team of the local shougakkou, and more like bulbous GT cars. Buyers of the Mazda MPV will soon be able to order a Mazdaspeed "Urban Gran Tourismo" package that includes a wind-tunnel-tested body kit. The GT minivan was the centerpiece of Mazda's display at the Tokyo Auto Salon, which took place over the weekend. More »
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The German Car Blog procured some shots, reportedly from a Brazilian magazine, that shows a new VW Fox MPV for Brazil. The MPV will debut along with the rest of the facelifted Fox lineup. Sure, it could be a photoshopped Skoda, with a Passat rear-end grafted on, but there's something that makes us think a VW similar to this could wind up in the US market in the next couple of years. Call it intuition. More »
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Who needs a performance-minded one-box MPV, you ask? Toyota says Japan does, and it's launching the new Ractis in the Japanese market to prove us skeptics uninformed. The Ractis, which Toyota's press release indicates has "styling that makes the car look nimble," sports a seven-speed sequential transmission with paddle shifters, a choice of 1.3-liter or 1.5 liter VVT-i engines, large-diameter brakes and a suspension designed for maneuverability. It also comes in a wheelchair-accessable format that includes hand-operated controls. The Ractis will be sold though Toyota's network of Toyopet and Toyota Corolla dealers, likely accompanied by lots of dealer-installed knick knacks. More »
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It wasn't long ago that full-sized minivans made short work of mom's station wagon. Now, a widening fleet of small minivans could dispatch dad's sedan to the crusher. New one-box, or "monospace" vehicles, like the new Mazda5 and Scion xB, which offer more space and versatility than the sedan's four-doors-plus-trunk design, are predicted to be the next major automotive direction in the US. Much like the hatchback craze of the 70s and 80s, this trend is emanating from Europe, where cars like the Renault Sc nic and new VW Golf Plus are but two of the type, which cater to those with "active lifestyles." That buzz phrase, outwardly represented in ad media by roof-strapped bikes and kayaks, would be equally well represented by kids, pets and IKEA furniture, according to industry watchers. [Update: Our nitpicky friend Andre points out that the xB is "manifestly two-box," a salient point to be sure. We'd imagine AW mentioned the most square of Scions merely to illustrate the concept of "monospace" design to Americans, who have few other examples of such small, utility-oriented vehicles (like the new Mazda5) at hand. But thanks, A.] More »
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It's not big enough to be a minivan, but the Mazda5 could still catch fire unexpectedly. (C'mon, that's non sequiturs 101.) The company announced an exhaust system flaw on 2,700 new Mazda5 models that could cause fires. No injuries have been reported, but Mazda5 owners are urged to contact a dealer to get the flaw corrected. The loaner car's on Mazda's dime. More »
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Anyone old enough to recall the wool cardigan Kurt Cobain wore during "Unplugged" will remember that before there was SUV, there was MPV. As we remember it was Mazda that coined the term, but now, if Kia brings a new multipurpose vehicle to the US market, Mazda's MPV descendent, the Mazda5, may have to share its cookies. Spies recently caught a picture of a new, arch-top Kia, alongside a newly facelifted Sorrento. The new models, along with Volkswagen's new Golf Plus, will compete among "hightop sedans" a segment Europeans have had for years (see: Renault Grand Scenic), but which are only beginning to return to the US after a short stint in the early 1990s (remember the Mitsubishi Expo LRV?) More »
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