Renault Design Boss Says 'sexy, Desirable' Mpvs Could Make A Return As Suvs Fall Out Of Favor

Europe whitethorn person been all-in connected SUVs in nan caller past, but Renault creation boss Gilles Vidal foresees a adjacent early successful which electrification and an accent connected ratio whitethorn renew liking successful MPVs (we telephone immoderate of them minivans), Autocar reports. "Maybe MPVs could travel backmost successful a sexier, desirable style aliases form," said Vidal. While I ne'er thought of minivans arsenic peculiarly sexy (except Renault's Espace F1, of course), Vidal makes a convincing lawsuit that this mightiness conscionable beryllium nan early of ample group movers.

While nan minivan ne'er really went away, it has surely fallen retired of favor, peculiarly successful nan U.S. In 2022, trucks and SUVs comprised 80% of caller car sales. That aforesaid year, minivans made up conscionable 3.6% of sales, according to GoodCarBadCar. People feel cooler hauling 7 group and their worldly astir successful a Chevy Tahoe than a Kia Carnival, moreover though some are arsenic tin of doing it. Vidal agrees, saying, "SUVs won nan conflict against nan MPVs because MPVs are cars that you request but you don't desire, and abruptly SUVs pinch nan aforesaid engines, aforesaid weight, aforesaid everything — they are shapes that you will desire."

While large trucks and SUVs person been each astir conspicuous consumption, trends toward electrical cars person emphasized ratio arsenic good arsenic performance. Range worry is still a interest (even though you're wrong), truthful sleek designs pinch debased resistance are becoming nan norm alternatively than big, brutish designs. A little thrust tallness improves aerodynamics. Placing large, dense batteries arsenic debased arsenic imaginable besides improves handling, moreover if guardrails can't grip them. The extremity consequence of this metamorphosis looks little for illustration a accepted SUV and much for illustration a minivan without nan sliding doors.

Renault's own Emblème concept is simply a awesome illustration of this. While nan latest Renault Espace is an SUV alternatively of the minivan it ever was before, the Emblème rejects nan tall, chunky styling presently successful manner to return to a much car-like creation — successful different words, an MPV.

"What will astir apt hap pinch SUVs is they will effort to beryllium much and much efficient, truthful possibly somewhat little and amended successful aerodynamics," said Vidal. "They will morph into a very businesslike car, little power consuming, pinch balanced habitability and roominess and everything that's astir apt nan trend."

So don't interest astir your manliness. Minivans tin do everything SUVs tin do, and better. I once won my people astatine a BMW nine crystal title successful nan AWD Dodge Grand Caravan I utilized for courier work, beating cars, trucks, and SUVs successful nan process. Perhaps the bully vans aren't gone aft all.