History of the minivan in America

It is generally accepted, with good reason, that Chrysler created the modern minivan segment back in 1983 with the introduction of the Dodge Caravan and the Plymouth Voyager. Based on an extended Chrysler K platform, each featured front wheel drive, a sliding passenger door on the passenger side and enough room to hold mom, dad, 2.3 kids and all the accompanying paraphernalia. The vehicles were an instant success and nearly 12 million have been sold in the intervening years.

1984 Plymouth Voyager

The VW Bus

But German manufacturer Volkswagen could legitimately claim a portion of that prize, at least here in the United States, based on the 1950 VW Type 2, commonly known as the Microbus – a vehicle that beat Lee Iacocca and The New Chrysler to the punch by a good 33 years.

1955 VW Microbus

Based on an extended Type 1 (Beetle) platform, Volkswagen went on to sell three generations of this rear-engined, rear-drive van from 1950 until 1990. Its replacement, the almost-as-boxy Eurovan, was both front-engined and front-wheel-drive. It was also not nearly as popular with the VW faithful and was sold in the U.S. from 1990 until VW stopped importing them in 2003.

In Europe, Volkswagen continues to market not just one, but a full line of vans that include the Caddy Life, the Touran, the Sharan and the Multivan (the latest version of the Eurovan). Here in the United States, unless VW changes its current marketing plans, we’ll never see any of these models.

The Routan

Instead, in what certainly has to be called an ironic twist of fate, the newest VW – the Routan – is actually a Chrysler Town and Country minivan. And although the Routan has its own interior and unique Volkswagen-designed front and rear sheetmetal as well as suspension tuning, the rest is all Chrysler – including the assembly plant where it’s built in Windsor, Canada.

2009 VW Routan

If only, if only

And while a few dyed-in-the-wool Volkswagen customers will certainly end up purchasing a Routan, many more will look at it, shake their heads and wonder what might have been; recalling, instead, the stunning Microbus Concept introduced at the 2001 North American International Auto Show. Originally scheduled to go into production, plans for the New Microbus were scrapped in 2005 as Volkswagen concentrated its resources on marketing the Phaeton, a vehicle that suffered such dismal sales that it was only imported into the U.S. for 3 years.

Microbus Concept

The shape of things to come?

I am, once again, reminded of the similarities in the current U.S. auto market to the market as it has existed in Europe for the better part of two decades. Prices of fuel are high – both for gas and diesel. With the greater efficiencies of diesel – especially for midsize and larger cars as well as for trucks, SUVs and vans, these vehicles, in some shape or form, could find their way to the American market in the next few years.

Two things that differentiate the Ulysse from current mini-vans in the United States (such as the Chrysler Town and Country) are the engine and transmission. The engine is a 4-cylinder diesel, and it’s mated to a 5-speed manual transaxle.

Inside, Fiat has managed to accommodate a total of 7 passengers. Aside from the front two buckets with a small aisle in between, there are 3 center seats (in a 2 plus 1 configuration), that fold and then flip forward, allowing the 2 rear seat passengers easier ingress and egress.

The ride is decent enough for a small van and the manual transmission is absolutely necessary – especially with a full compliment of passengers and attendant gear – to propel the Ulysse up and down the hills of Tuscany.

The Bottom Line

While not the most exciting vehicle to drive, the Ulysse serves its purpose and, like most current Fiats, the overall styling is much sportier than most small vans for sale in the U.S. market.