“Why is it called a “”minivan”” when it is a big “”box””? Why is the 5-meter-long Toyota “”Alphard”” also called a “”minivan””?
They’re called “”minivans,”” but they’re not “”mini”” at all!
The minivan, with its spacious interior and ability to accommodate a large number of passengers, is one of the most popular categories in Japan, but none of its models can be called “”mini”” at all.
Why is it that the name “”minivan”” has taken root in Japan, despite the fact that none of the models are “”mini””?
Image] Bigger than the Alphard! The “”Granvia”” with an overall length exceeding 5 meters! Sienna, the sister model of the Granvia, has Japanese license plates! See the actual car! (31 pictures)
The 5-meter-long Toyota “”Alphard”” is also a minivan, but …… what is this “”mini””?
Currently, the minivan market in Japan includes the compact Toyota Sienna and Honda Freed, the mid-size Toyota Noah/Voxy, Nissan Serena, and Honda Stepwagon, and the large-size Toyota Alphard and Nissan Elgrand.
Generally, the definition of a minivan is a model with a square body and three rows of seats that can accommodate a large number of people and carry a lot of cargo.
In fact, the third-row seats can be utilized to accommodate a large number of passengers, and the second-row seats can be slid back to create a spacious first-class-like environment. Conversely, the second and third rows can be rearranged to provide the load capacity of a commercial vehicle.
Therefore, the minivan is a versatile model that can be used not only for families but also for business and outdoor activities.
However, upon closer examination, minivans are by no means “”minis.
The body size of the Alphard, which leads the minivan market, is 4935mm-4950mm (overall length) x 1850mm (overall width) x 1935mm-195- mm (overall height), which is quite large for a passenger car.
The Step Wagon, a mid-size minivan, has been fully remodeled and is now 4800mm-4830mm in length x 1750mm in width x 1840mm-1855mm in height.
And the Sienta, a compact minivan, has an overall length of 4260mm x width of 1695mm x height of 1675mm-1695mm, which is smaller than most minivans, but still not enough to be called “”mini””.
In fact, the British “”Mini”” (Rover Mini), for which the word “”mini”” became the brand name as it was, was about 3075 mm (L) x 1440 mm (W) x 1330 mm (H), and was a “”mini”” among cars of the time, so the name truly represents the body.
However, the term “”mini”” is used for the Japanese “”minivan”” despite its large body.
Why call it a “”minivan”” when it is a large “”hako”” (box)? Why is the 5-meter-long Toyota Alphard also called a “”minivan””?
The original minivan was in America!
To solve this mystery, we may need to look back into the history of the “”minivan””.
Japan is said to be one of the largest minivan markets in the world, but it was not until the 1990s and 2000s that many modern minivans were introduced.
The Toyota Estima, which was introduced in 1990, is said to have started the boom, followed by many other minivans.
In the sense of a wagon capable of carrying a large number of passengers, there had been minivans before that, but most of them were commercial vehicles with increased seating capacity, and they did not form a single category as they do today.
However, the minivan boom in Japan is said to have been influenced by the United States.
In the 1980s, the minivan boom in the U.S. was already well ahead of that in Japan.
The pioneer of this boom was the Dodge “”Caravan”” launched in 1983.
At the time, the Chrysler Group, to which Dodge belonged, was promoting the development of FF vehicles, and the Caravan was a van that adopted FF, which was rare at the time.
Due in part to the use of an FF platform, the Caravan is very compact for a van of its time, measuring 4468 mm (overall length) x 1765 mm (overall width) x 1636 mm (overall height).
On the other hand, its usability was also a major attraction, as it could accommodate seven passengers, which was equivalent to a conventional van.
Chevrolet Astro”” once became a popular model in Japan
The Chevrolet Astro, which followed the success of the Caravan, was imported into Japan in large numbers and is still a very popular model today.
In particular, many American minivans, including the Astro, were given luxurious interiors by the interior designers, which is said to have matched the style of the Japanese market, where people tend to treat their cars as if they were rooms.
By Japanese standards, the Caravan and Astro seem to have very large bodies, but by American standards they are not so large.
Before the Caravan and Astro were introduced, most vans in the U.S. were over 5000 mm (L) x 2000 mm (W) x 2000 mm (H), and were not very comfortable since they were mainly designed to move a lot of luggage and people. They were not very comfortable.
However, the Caravan’s “”just right”” features, combining the comfort of a passenger car with the load carrying capacity of a van, led to its being called a “”minivan”” to distinguish it from the larger conventional vans.
Incidentally, as the name “”minivan”” became established, conventional large vans in the U.S. were generally referred to as “”full-size vans.
In other words, the “”mini”” in “”minivan”” seems to mean “”mini”” compared to the “”full-size van”” in the United States.
However, since there are almost no “”full-size vans”” in Japan, there seems to be some confusion.
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On the other hand, in the recent Japanese market, “”minivan”” has become established as one of the body types along with mini cars, compact cars, sedans, station wagons, and SUVs.
Therefore, the term “”minivan”” seems to be acceptable in Japan regardless of the size of the body.
Hiroaki Uryu, PeacockBlue K.K.”
