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Mini MPV
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mini MPV (MPV stands for multi-purpose vehicle, although the full name is never used) is a car classification used in Europe to describe multi-purpose vehicles with a size close to superminis, fitting below the compact MPV and large MPV classifications.
A mini MPV is closely related in concept to the leisure activity vehicle, which is a passenger derivative of a panel van. The main differences regarding design are that a mini MPV has a shorter bonnet and the windshield is almost parallel to it, while a leisure activity vehicle features a more traditional bonnet and a more vertical windshield. Passengers sit more upright in a mini MPV and their centre of gravity is higher than in a leisure activity vehicle.
Other differences between the two classes of cars focus on their target markets. Leisure activity vehicles are very similar to panel vans, the former tend to have less expensive materials and building quality and are offered as a supermini and small family car alternative with a better interior room for the price. In contrast, mini MPVs have more or less the same qualities as superminis. With their increased interior room, mini MPVs are usually more expensive than a supermini or leisure activity vehicle, and sometimes as much as a small family car.
If a mini MPV is defined by external dimensions, the upper length limit is more or less clear: the Nissan Note, the largest mini MPV, is 4085 mm long and the Volkswagen Golf Plus, the smallest compact MPV, is at 4205 mm. On the contrary, the lower limit is somehow blurred. The Renault Modus (3795 mm) and the Peugeot 1007 (3730 mm) are in a grey area between mini MPVs and city cars.
The dimension which is relevant to distinguish between a mini MPV and a supermini is height and engine capacity above 1500cc; this limit is not very well defined either. The Renault Modus (1590 mm) is usually considered a mini MPV, while the Nissan Micra (1540 mm) is mainly regarded as a supermini. Any vehicle of the size under 1500 mm will be almost always considered a supermini, and models above 1650 mm will never be described by that term.
Some people think that the differences between a mini MPV and a supermini are more related to the car's architecture, with seat and engine location as relevant elements to separate both types of cars.