Definitely Keeping Up with the Joneses
It's the most competitive and combative market segment in the Canadian automotive business and the battlefield is the suburban strip malls, hockey rinks and bulk grocery stores that dot the paved landscape.
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| Over the past twenty years the minivan and its bland two-box profile have pushed designers to try and be creative. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
A blight to some, and savior to others, in less than two decades the minivan has come to redefine the automotive design business, and in the process sent designers scrambling back to their CAD computer screens in search of that new spin on somewhat limited design parameters - after all, how much can really be done with a loaf of bread on wheels.
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| The 2003 Mazda MPV has been tweaked slightly, but is still much the same as it was after its major redesign three years ago. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
For 2003 Mazda has tweaked its minivan entry, the MPV. Three model years ago the MPV received a major redesign, with front-wheel-drive replacing rear and all-wheel drive setups, plus two side sliding doors replacing three hinged doors. The interior was also totally redesigned, with a much better seating configuration replacing a very limited seating layout. While these changes were necessary for the MPV to stay in step with the segment leading Chrysler and Honda minivan entries, I personally miss the all-wheel drive option. With a little aftermarket suspension work, the old MPV AWD makes a formidable back-country vehicle.
