This is perhaps the most convenient transport for those motorists who appreciate the combination of space, comfort and good technical characteristics in a car. A large cabin, which can boast of almost every minivan, is complemented by a spacious trunk, whose volume increases when the third row of seats is folded. This car is ideal for family trips out of town, shopping, use as an office car, etc. In this review, we will consider models that can claim to be the most overall and capacious status in the world.

Buick GL8 - one of the representatives of this class

What is this car?

Novice car enthusiasts often confuse minivans with high-performance minibuses and station wagons due to their external similarities. However, between them there are a number of differences.

The minivan was designed in such a way as to provide as much as possible the internal volume of the cabin for comfortable accommodation of the driver and passengers. Usually in the cabin there are three rows of seats, while the rear row can be folded, thereby increasing the volume of the luggage compartment.

The spaciousness of the single-volume body also works for capacity: it exceeds the height of ordinary hatchbacks and station wagons, and its layout is made in two versions - bonnetless or semi-bunched. Often, the last row of seats can only be reached through the back door.

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The passenger compartment is equipped with regular or sliding doors on both sides of the machine. The minivan differs from the minibus by capacity - the quantity of places, including driver's, does not exceed 9. Do minibuses same passenger seats more.

Minivans are great for couples with children, and the number of children does not have to be large: 1-2 babies will be able to comfortably sit in the rear seats and withstand a rather long ride. A large dog can fit in a minivan, it can be used to go to a country house or to a picnic outside the city, go shopping in a wholesale supermarket. This category of cars is very much appreciated in companies where there is a need for a spacious and representative car.

The interior of the cabin is designed so that passengers feel most comfortable. There are a wide variety of shelves, pockets and glove compartments where you can place bottles with drinks, books, newspapers, children's toys, CDs and other small items.

Salon minivan

Volume, style, comfort

These three components characterize the automobile family to which the minivan belongs. The most spacious and comfortable minivans in the world are:

• Chrysler Grand Voyager;
• Citroen C8, Peugeot 807;
• Renault Espace.

They took the top lines in the ranking of the most capacious, which was compiled according to reviews of car owners. We offer you to get acquainted with these large minivans closer.

Appearance of Chrysler Grand Voyager

Chrysler Grand Voyager

The winner of the rating can be described in two words: big and roomy. No matter what his platform - 3030 mm or 150 mm less, any version of this king of minivans can capture the imagination. In the first case, the 7-seater layout gives the trunk volume of 580 liters, and the 2-seater - 4680 liters. In the second case, the numbers will be somewhat smaller, but still impressive: 445/4080 l.

The impressive dimensions of this car make its appearance respectable, aided by a chrome grille and an elegant form of headlights. A minivan is as comfortable inside as it looks solid outside. Manufacturers managed to solve the eternal problem with the third-row seats, when the legs of passengers sitting on it quickly get tired.

The reason was that the seats were too low relative to the floor, and the developers were able not only to slightly raise them, but also to change the design. Now the pillow is placed at a slight inclination back - so that its front end is higher than that which fits with the back. Thanks to this innovation, the foot rests comfortably on the pillow without hanging over it. It is also worth noting that the third row can be equipped with an electric drive that will allow you to fold and unfold it by pressing buttons, and not manually.

Chrysler Grand Voyager

Special niches under the second row of seats are part of the Stow Go n Go system, which allows you to carry luggage of different dimensions with the third row folded. In addition to these niches, the minivan is equipped with a large number of pockets, glove boxes, glass holders and even a portable box, inside of which there are several compartments.

For leather upholstery used high-quality leather. This is not only prestigious and stylish, but also practical: in such a car, you can safely transport children with splashing juice in their hands, preserved banks, a company of friends to play with, and not worry about clean interior. All blemishes are then easily rubbed off with special skin cleansers.

Driving this miracle of automotive technology, we should not forget that it is equipped with a 3.6-liter V6 engine, capable of producing thrust of 342 Nm and 283 hp. Sharp accelerations can cause the front wheels to slip due to the heavy weight of the rear end. On a straight and level road, a Chrysler minivan goes confidently and evenly, like a tank. With the onset of cold weather, it should be changed into winter tires to increase handling on slippery roads. Average fuel consumption on city streets is about 20 liters per 100 km.

Video about the car Chrysler Grand Voyager:

Citroen C8 and Peugeot 807

The large Citroen C8 minivan, like the one that goes with it in our Peugeot 807 rating, designed for 5-8 passengers, has the following amount of luggage: 480/3300 liters. Both companies that produce these cars are members of the PSA industrial group, and it is this fact that explains the absolute similarity of the two different models of the French car industry.

Among the ratings of motorists who took part in the survey, such characteristics of the C8 and 807 as “extraordinary” and “extravagant” sounded. Such emotions were caused by an unusual combination of a rather interesting exterior design of cars and the original design of their internal space. The developers have installed a dashboard of three round scales in the central part of the front panel, which is why the driver has an unusual view. The impression is reinforced by plastic, which is used in scales instead of glass: outside it has digitized paint on its translucent surface.

Citroen C8

Both one and second minivan are extremely convenient for passengers. The interior has been designed so that the interior space can be used as practical as possible. On all seats installed adjustment, allowing you to change their inclination, and even the passenger to remove from the cabin. The front row is not removable, but it turns around 180 °, turning the salon into a cozy mini-office. Business papers, tablets, mobile phones, pens and other little things can be fixed in numerous pockets and drawers. The flat and even floor makes it easy to change when moving from one place to another.

With the technical equipment of these machines is also a complete order. The basic models are equipped with 2-liter engines and 137 hp. Manufacturers also offer a choice of 2 × 2 liters engines (160 hp) and three-liter V6 (210 hp) engines. The latter option allows you to accelerate to 200 km / h. It is mainly installed on six-seater versions.

As for the presence of various electronics, here the level of equipment corresponds to a high status. The minivan in the basic configuration is equipped with ABS systems and antibanking automation, power accessories, four-zone climate control, heated exterior mirrors and seats, an audio system, etc. The version with the V6 engine also has parking sensors, cruise control, traction control, alloy wheels, electric drives that control rear sliding doors and more.

Peugeot 807

Renault Espace

This minivan with its long base gives the impression of extremely impressive. From the side it seems as if he deserves to take first place among the most capacious cars. However, in reality everything is different. The volume of its trunk with a 7-seater body is only 456/3050 liters.

The fifth generation Espace was created on the modular CFM platform, which was used to develop the Renault-Nissan. It was designed by experts from the bureau that designed the exterior of the famous Airbus A380. The result was pretty good: a quarter of a ton less in weight with a chic image and impressive spaciousness. Renault minivan looks like a cross between an airliner, a limousine and a crossover.

The designers played with the dimensions of the Espace, and its length increased to almost 5 meters, and the height slightly decreased. As much as 77 mm was added to the wheelbase, which at high ground clearance allows replacing the basic 17-inch wheels with 20-inch wheels. Given the excellent performance of aerodynamics, the minivan could claim to be a worthy place in the series of crossovers, however, unfortunately, it cannot boast of high off-road maneuverability.

Renault Espace

It is known that 1.6-liter models with turbo engines will be on sale. Buyers will be able to choose one of the two diesel engines with 130 and 160 hp. complete with a 6-speed automatic transmission, or choose a petrol version of 200 hp, which is paired with a 7-speed "automatic".

Technical equipment Espace designed for the most demanding drivers and their passengers. A comfortable lounge is stuffed with all sorts of electronic things: there is a massage for the front-seat passengers, buttons for adjusting the position of the seats, and much more. All control buttons are on the 8.7-inch touch screen, which is located on the dashboard and allows you to customize the basic functions at your discretion with the touch of a finger. For the convenience of the driver, the developers have provided the ability to adjust even such small things as the sound of the engine and the color of the instrument panel illumination.

Video review Renault Espace:

Of the active and useful options should be noted:

• automatic parking system;
• adaptive cruise control;
• thoughtful security system;
• projection display;
• electric rear door;
• Bose audio system, which includes 12 speakers;
• And so on.