Renault's new minivan

"BATC42" (BATC42) 09/25/2014 at 04:42 • Filed to: Renault, minivan

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The company that invented the minivan just revealed their new model, this is Renault's brand new Espace. Weirdly I find the wheels to be way too big, but it looks promissing !

And for ONCE, the production car actually looks like the concept car that was showcasing it. Here is Renault's Initiale Paris concept from last year Frankfurt IAA.

Cé hé sin > BATC42 09/25/2014 at 04:51

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If that's a genuine production car the wheels are way too big. Maybe they've shrunk it as compared to the previous, not terribly popular, model

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > BATC42 09/25/2014 at 05:42

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It looks great for a minivan, much better than the old plastic pigs.

Milky > BATC42 09/25/2014 at 07:24

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Didn't they invent the MPV? and isn't this a MPV?

yea … I'm that guy.

duurtlang > Milky 09/25/2014 at 07:34

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Minivan and MPV are roughly the same thing. The 1984 Renault Espace popularized the modern minivan, at least in Europe it did.

Milky > duurtlang 09/25/2014 at 09:02

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Its American counterpoint also came out in '84 and is credited for creating the Minivan.

duurtlang > Milky 09/25/2014 at 09:06

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Its American counterpoint also came out in '84 and is credited for creating the Minivan

...in the US.

I understand the importance of the Chrysler. I'd argue the Chrysler and the Renault had similar importance and influence in the same era, just on different continents.

Milky > duurtlang 09/25/2014 at 09:19

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I'm just being overly pedantic about calling it a Minivan. Not trying to discredit the Espace, just saying Renault themselves call it a mpv - "The Espace is often credited as being the world's first MPV, a claim Renault promotes"

Actually I was just going to leave it there and move on, but according to wiki …"The Chrysler minivans launched a few months ahead of the Renault Espace (the first MPV/minivan in Europe, initially presented to executives as a Talbot in 1979, [4] but not launched until 1984), making them the first of their kind …. "

duurtlang > Milky 09/25/2014 at 09:24

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I guess technically the Chrysler was introduced to a local market earlier than the Espace, so in that sense the Chrysler was the first modern minivan. The difference in introduction date is so marginal, especially given the time both were in development and the different markets they were introduced into, I think it's fair to view them similarly.

In my perspective minivan=MPV=minivan. Different words for the same thing.

Milky > duurtlang 09/25/2014 at 09:30

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That might be your view, but not Chrysler's or Renault's.

I don't think the team that came up with the Caravan would particularly like reading this in this article - "The company that invented the minivan "

duurtlang > Milky 09/25/2014 at 09:45

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I'm not so sure about that, actually. Minivan isn't really a word we use in (continental, not sure about the UK) Europe. The Chrysler would be labeled as a MPV here as well, everyone here would consider the Espace and Voyager to be direct competitors in the identical market segment. When the Voyager still sold in significant numbers they were cross shopped. What, in your opinion, is the difference between these two words?

Anyway, I don't think the team behind the Renault would like to read the Chrysler was the first minivan either.

Milky > duurtlang 09/25/2014 at 09:57

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The first thing that comes to mind is that the Dodge does this.

But really though, Dodge can claim to be first because theirs hit the market first. Renault claims theirs is first because they call it something different. If you are saying they are the same then Renault has no claim to make.