Mini MPV / People carrier

Ford’s C1 chassis will be sold Stateside, after all

Newswheel staff :: 26 July 2007 :: Filed under Hatchback, Mini MPV / People carrier, Ford, Ford Focus

Ford’s really rather excellent C1 chassis underpins several winning products including the second generation Focus and C-Max compact MPV. So, it’s more than a little odd that the ailing US auto giant has so far declined to offer any C1-based models to US customers. However, reports now suggest that ~~former England cricketer~~ Ford’s incumbent bigwig Alan Mulally has had a change of heart. Both the 2nd gen Focus and the C-Max will be in US showrooms no later than 2011…

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Newswheel @ the Paris show: Chinese car companies you ain’t never heard of

Newswheel staff :: 04 October 2006 :: Filed under Mini MPV / People carrier, SUV, Great Wall, Landwind, Europe & UK, Trade shows, US

Thought that chintzy Chinese companies with faintly comical brand names were the preserve of £25 DVD players with piracy-friendly DivX support? Well, think again. At the Paris show, the Chinese are out in force and some of their products look pretty damn plausible…

Suzuki at the Paris show: Mini MPV concept, Swift Sport

Neville Contractor :: 20 September 2006 :: Filed under Hatchback, Mini MPV / People carrier, Suzuki, Suzuki Swift, Europe & UK

Another day, another concept to wow les car enthusiasts at the upcoming Paris motor show. The Suzuki Splash (geddit? It’ll make a spl…oh, the pathos) is a knowing wink in the direction of the Japanese outfit’s forthcoming effort for the mini people carrier segment, currently populated by the Hondauxhall Jaziva or, er, whatever…

Citroen wheels out C4 Picasso

Newswheel staff :: 04 August 2006 :: Filed under Mini MPV / People carrier, Citroen, Citroen C4 Picasso, Europe & UK

Citroen has fired off the first salvo of PR snaps and verbiage for the new C4 Picasso compact SUV prior to the car’s official launch in September. The design ethic for the latest Picasso sticks with Citroen’s contemporary but somewhat discombobulated family look. A huge panoramic windscreen that cuts into the roof and doubles vertical visibility for front seat passengers is probably the car’s numero uno party trick…

Hot Zafira bags ‘Ring record

Newswheel staff :: 26 May 2006 :: Filed under Mini MPV / People carrier, Vauxhall, Vauxhall Astra Zafira, Europe & UK

Eight minutes, 54.38 seconds. That’s how long it took former Le Mans winner Manuel Reuter to drag the Opel Zafira OPC (a.k.a. the Vauxhall Zafira VXR in Blighty) around the infamous Nurburgring Nordschleife track in Germany. Which makes it the quickest people carrier in town. For your reference, that’s about the same as John Surtees managed in a Cooper Maserati, back in 1966 (oh, OK, the Nordschleife was a couple of Ks longer in those days, but let’s not allow facts to get in the way of a good segway)…

New Kia Carens

Newswheel staff :: 12 April 2006 :: Filed under Mini MPV / People carrier, Kia, Kia Carens, Europe & UK

We’re an equal opportunity website here at Newswheel. So, in the name of truth, justice, international glasnost and world peace, we give you the first official images of the fabulous new Kia Carens mini-MPV. If you want to know more, may we humbly point you in the direction of www.google.com, for all your Kia Carens needs. Actually, it’s not a bad looker at all, for a commodity class car from a Korean outfit. And we’re all for a little more choice on the market…

Seat delivers devilish Derv drinker

Newswheel staff :: 30 November 2005 :: Filed under Hatchback, Mini MPV / People carrier, Seat, Seat Leon, Europe & UK

Oh Lordy. Can anyone prevent the rise of the performance diesel? Not Seat, it seems. The VW-owned Spanish outfit has announced a new 2.0-litre 168bhp diesel variant of the Altea. It’s good for 60 in eight seconds and 140mph.

PT Cruiser upgrades

Newswheel staff :: 23 November 2005 :: Filed under Hatchback, Mini MPV / People carrier, Chrysler, Chrysler PT Cruiser, Europe & UK

Rejoice and make merry, dear readers. For on this day of November 23rd 2005 we bring you the most marvelous news that Chrysler has released a reborn PT Cruiser for the UK. Oh yes, not only does the new model receive a massaged front grille, tweaked headlights and new front fog lamps, but Chrysler have also glued a new rear spoiler on the tailgate. It doesn’t get much better than this, friends.

Manic Meriva

Newswheel staff :: 19 November 2005 :: Filed under Mini MPV / People carrier, Vauxhall, Vauxhall Meriva, Europe & UK, US

Offering performance versions of mass-market hatchbacks and saloons in an effort to add a little sex appeal to the rest of the range makes plenty of sense. After all, the corporate drones who drive such mundane machinery probably hanker after something a little racier. With the turbo-charged Zafira mid-sized MPV, however, Vauxhall successfully stretched that theory to new limits. But you’ve gotta wonder, has it gone a step too far with the new 180bhp Meriva mini-MPV?

Mercedes blows A-Class

Newswheel staff :: 12 October 2005 :: Filed under Hatchback, Mini MPV / People carrier, Mercedes Benz, Mercedes Benz A-Class, Europe & UK

The Mercedes A-Class has a new flagship, the A200 turbo. Powered by a blown 2-litre four, the new model kicks out 193bhp and 207 lb/ft. Interesting, but a six cylinder model would be even better.

Tokyo show preview: Nissan

Newswheel staff :: 10 October 2005 :: Filed under Coupe, Hatchback, Mini MPV / People carrier, MPV / People carrier, Nissan, Nissan Amenio, Nissan Foria, Nissan Moco, Nissan Note, Nissan Pivo, Nissan Skyline GTR, Europe & UK, US

A new GT-R, a pretty rear-drive coupe and a batshit electric car concept. Business as usual for Nissan at this year’s Tokyo show.

Tokyo show preview: Honda

Newswheel staff :: 10 October 2005 :: Filed under Four-door coupe, Mini MPV / People carrier, Saloon, Honda, Honda FCX, Honda Sports4, Honda W.O.W concept, Europe & UK, US,

From the weird to the wonderful, you can count on Honda to produce the goods at its home show. To a chorus of double dash-hounds all round, we preview Honda’s line-up for 2005.

Honda grows prosthetic woodie

Newswheel staff :: 30 May 2005 :: Filed under Mini MPV / People carrier, Honda

No tittering please, this is a serious innovation. Honda’s new Japanese-market Step Wagon sports “floor panelling that provides the look and convenience of a hard wood floor.” But not actually a hard wood floor, we presume. Ho hum…

Stop that, it's silly

Newswheel staff :: 11 May 2005 :: Filed under Hatchback, Mini MPV / People carrier, Seat, Seat Leon, Europe & UK

This is the new Seat Leon. And it’s entirely dissimilar from the Altea and the Toledo. Except for the VW Golf underpinnings. Oh, and the styling’s the same, too. We’re all for consistent design ethics, but this is silly.

B-Class breaks cover

Newswheel staff :: 20 February 2005 :: Filed under Mini MPV / People carrier, Mercedes Benz, Mercedes Benz B-Class, Europe & UK, US,

It’s not much of a surprise thanks to the near production-ready “Compact Sports Tourer” concept Mercedes has been showing off for the past 12 months, but the B-Class proper has finally broken cover.

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