Ushering in the season of the roomy compact van
Thomas Geiger, Deutsche Presse-Agentur, Hamburg
In the coming 12 months an entire series of minivans will be coming on to the market. After the 2002 autumn - the autumn of the roomy limousines - attention is turning to Golf-class vehicles.
Manufacturers are aiming to use the roominess and versatility to win buyers from the classic station wagon category. Like two big sellers, the Honda Stream and the Zafira, the Touran is a seven seater. Volkswagen hopes it will make life difficult for the Zafira in the New Year.
But the Zafira, the Honda Stream and the Touran are not the only seven-seaters in this range. Renault is also bringing out its seven seater.
The French maker, in making the generation change for the Megane, also announced that two versions of the Scenic will be available. The direct successor of the present Scenic comes out as a proportionally shorter five-seater. Later, in the autumn, Renault said, another version with a longer wheelbase and seven seats will make its appearance.
Ford is also getting in on the act this year with a newcomer in this part of the market. Two years ago, Ford was supposed to have had a Focus van on the blocks but then changed its mind about the design.
But it used the occasion of the Paris Motor Show to unveil its C-Max design study. This is based on the Focus and is reputed to be due to go into series production in 2003 as the Focus Fusion. The accent is said to be not on space at all costs but more on comfort.
That explains the information coming from Ford in Cologne which is that it will not be a seven-seater buy only a four- seater with many possibilities for seat configuration.
The Golf-class is not the only class where which the competition to station wagons is coming from: one step down in class, roominess on wheels is also becoming significant.
Opel has introduced the Meriva which in the New Year is intended to fill the gap between the Agila and the Zafira. Opel says the Meriva comes with an interior capable of a variety of adjustments.
In Turin, Fiat has officially confirmed the rumors that it is to produce a new minivan along the lines of the Punto.