Minivans are not getting the attention they deserve anymore, as just like more traditional body styles (sedans and station wagons), they have started losing ground to high-riding models. Nonetheless, despite the obvious shift in consumer demand, people carriers are here to stay.
Several key players in the automotive industry still have at least one minivan in their portfolio. Others have only recently joined this game, like Volvo with their EM90, which builds on the Swedish brand's sister company Zeekr's 009.
It uses a rear-mounted motor that generates 268 hp (272 ps/200 kW), needs 8.3 seconds to hit 62 mph (100 kph), and has a 459-mile (738 km) range according to Chinese standards. Its 116 kWh battery pack can be charged from 10-80% in less than 30 minutes, and it can be used as a massive power bank on wheels to juice up other EVs and/or appliances, etc.
But the Volvo EM90 is not the only premium minivan that deserves its 15 minutes of fame, as so does the Lexus LM. The Japanese marque's model is a hybrid, making use of the electrified 2.5L unit shared with the NX 350h and RX 350h. It enjoys 246 hp (250 ps/184 kW) and comes with standard front-wheel drive in the UK, with the AWD system being reserved for the two upper grades.
Photo: Screenshot Youtube | Theottle
Can you tell what's missing from this picture? That would be a similar vehicle from Mercedes, Audi, and BMW. And we know what you're probably thinking, that the former has the B-Class and the latter the 2 Series Active Tourer, but these are smaller and, therefore, more cramped than the battery-electric Volvo EM90 and the hybridized Lexus LM. In fact, the EM90's wheelbase is actually longer than the one of the Mercedes GLS, whereas the space between the axles in the LM is longer than the E-Class.
Starting from the premise that BMW needs a large minivan in its portfolio, theottle set out to imagine it, using something not so ordinary as the foundation stone: the Maxus Mifa 9. SAIC's electric minivan is actually bigger than a Mercedes-Maybach GLS, features a very generous interior, comes with no fewer than ten screens, and has a 323-mile (520 km) range in the regular flavor.
With multiple mouse clicks, the rendering artist managed to adapt the styling of the BMW i7 to the Maxus Mifa 9, thus giving virtual birth to the i7 Active Tourer, an all-quiet minivan that would have the opportunity to become a moneymaker. So, should the Munich auto marque risk a huge chunk of money and make a people carrier that would be a rival to the Volvo EM90, or should they stick to the usual recipe that includes traditional passenger cars and multiple crossovers?
After a series of unfortunate events put an end to Cristian's dream of entering a custom built & tuned old-school Dacia into a rally competition, he moved on to drive press cars and write for a living. He's worked for several automotive online journals and now he's back at autoevolution after his first tour in the mid-2000s. Full profile
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