Minivan
A passenger vehicle with a tall, boxy body, sliding side doors, and flexible seating designed to carry families or small groups.
Sliding door: A door that opens by moving horizontally along a track rather than swinging outward. Sliding side doors make entry easier in tight parking spaces beside a minivan.
Sport utility vehicle: A passenger vehicle combining features of a road car with a taller body and, often, off-road capability. SUVs compete for family buyers, but usually trade minivan access and cabin flexibility for styling or capability.
Family car: A car selected or designed to meet the transportation needs of a household. Family transport is the minivan's central use, especially when several passengers travel together.
Volkswagen Type 2: A rear-engined van introduced by Volkswagen in 1950 and widely known as the Microbus or Transporter. Its people-moving role anticipated the later appeal of compact, versatile passenger vans.
Automotive market segmentation: The division of vehicle buyers and products into groups based on needs, price, and use. Minivans created a recognizable market niche between passenger cars and larger vans.
Third-row seating: A seating row behind the second row, allowing a vehicle to carry additional passengers. Many minivans add this row while retaining room for passengers and cargo.
Station wagon: A passenger car with an extended roof and rear cargo area integrated into the cabin. Wagons carry people and luggage in a lower, car-based body without minivan-style sliding doors.
Carpool: A shared journey in which multiple people travel in one vehicle, often to work or school. Minivans can accommodate larger carpools with convenient access to multiple seating rows.
Chrysler minivans: The Dodge Caravan and Plymouth Voyager, introduced in 1983 as early modern minivans. Their launch established the minivan as a major North American family-vehicle category.
Chrysler Corporation: An American automobile manufacturer that became part of DaimlerChrysler in 1998 and later Stellantis. Minivan sales helped Chrysler recover financially during the 1980s.