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Where's my Vehicle?
To make this an open topic, you can either give your ideal vehicle, or feel free to critique what I am suggesting.
To start, I am a 35 year old family man with two young boys and a wife. Family vehicle choices have been improving, but there isn't anything out there that is my perfect vehicle.
What I would like to see is along the lines of the new (to U.S.A.) microvans, but supersized. At first, it sound kind of dumb, don't I just mean a minivan? How about any number of SUV's?
To me though, it would be a hybrid of these two packaging designs. The best examples I can think of right now is the Volvo XC90 and the Pacifica. However, the Volvo is too SUV'ish while the Chrysler is way to minivan'ish.
The two box shape of the new microvans is a good start. The space efficiency of this design is fantastic. Use a rigid sedan chassis and suspension for good road manners. Have a wide track for stability and spaciousness. Be long enough to accommodate a third row that has ample crush zone behind it. Ceiling height tall enough to feel comfortable, but not feel like an auditorium.
Second and third row seats fold completely into and flush with the floor. They each have 60/40 split, and the front passenger seat folds down.
With the wide and tall 2nd box, here is where I leave the beaten path. My idea is to use cargo doors for exceptionally easy access to 2nd and 3rd row seating. The Honda Element and any number of new quad coupe designs are showing this can be a safe and practical design.
To conclude, up to the date safety features for braking, steering and crashing. But no overload on the options. This car should MAX OUT at $30k, not start there.
So what do you think? Is this a new segment buster (are you listening DC?), or just plain dumb. How about you? If you could design something to fit your needs, what would it look like and how would it function?
To start, I am a 35 year old family man with two young boys and a wife. Family vehicle choices have been improving, but there isn't anything out there that is my perfect vehicle.
What I would like to see is along the lines of the new (to U.S.A.) microvans, but supersized. At first, it sound kind of dumb, don't I just mean a minivan? How about any number of SUV's?
To me though, it would be a hybrid of these two packaging designs. The best examples I can think of right now is the Volvo XC90 and the Pacifica. However, the Volvo is too SUV'ish while the Chrysler is way to minivan'ish.
The two box shape of the new microvans is a good start. The space efficiency of this design is fantastic. Use a rigid sedan chassis and suspension for good road manners. Have a wide track for stability and spaciousness. Be long enough to accommodate a third row that has ample crush zone behind it. Ceiling height tall enough to feel comfortable, but not feel like an auditorium.
Second and third row seats fold completely into and flush with the floor. They each have 60/40 split, and the front passenger seat folds down.
With the wide and tall 2nd box, here is where I leave the beaten path. My idea is to use cargo doors for exceptionally easy access to 2nd and 3rd row seating. The Honda Element and any number of new quad coupe designs are showing this can be a safe and practical design.
To conclude, up to the date safety features for braking, steering and crashing. But no overload on the options. This car should MAX OUT at $30k, not start there.
So what do you think? Is this a new segment buster (are you listening DC?), or just plain dumb. How about you? If you could design something to fit your needs, what would it look like and how would it function?
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I'm not sure I understand what you mean by "cargo doors for exceptionally easy access to 2nd and 3rd row seating." I'm having a difficult time visualising this.
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To clarify what I was thinking, let me try to paint a picture. Take a shape like the Element or Xb, very efficient. Now supersize it. Have normal front doors, but in the rear side sections, use double dutch doors. When both doors are open, it would be easy to get in/out of the rear seat.
Also, for the 2nd and 3rd rows to fold completely flat and flush, you would need a low suspension and a high floor.
These, admittably, are some odd design cues. I am thinking about what would be practical and useful to me, not what it would look like. What I have described would be a great family hauler, with near cargo van capacity.
What I hoped my initial post would spark was some conversation as to what would be YOUR perfect vehicle. If you could design something from the ground up to fill your needs to the tee, what features and design would you incorporate?
Vehicle one:
Flat folding 3rd/2nd row seats
DVD Navigation
DVD rear seat entertainment system
Tiptronic
roll-down second row windows
Power liftgate/sliding doors
Hybrid
Midnight Blue with Parchment Leather Interior
(in other words, a Toyota Sienna with the added Tiptronic and lower price)
Car two:
Wagon
3 rows of seats
Both rows fold flat
CVT
Power Sunroof
AWD
Nothin' Flashy.
Wheel Covers
Deep Blue with Parchment Cloth
Hybrid
The closest car would be the Toyota Avensis Verso from Europe. (Also known as the Toyota Ipsum in Japan) Just add the Hybrid and the CVT and I'll see you at the dealer.