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mpv

Toyota teases Prius people-carrier

Not so long after hearing of Toyota's plans to expand its hybrid offerings, we find a Toyota billboard teasing a new member of what will be its expanded line of hybrid vehicles. Displayed at a 10th-anniversary gathering of the Toyota Prius, this ad shows a new larger member of what will become a Prius subbrand.

Dubbed the Prius MPV by the denizens of the Internet, this new model will be both slightly longer and slightly taller than the standard Prius--expect a sort of tiny minivan à la Mazda Mazda5. Its roofline drops off much less aggressively, presumably to create … Read more

Chevrolet supersizes Volt with MPV5 concept

Chevrolet has taken the yet-unreleased Volt extended-range electric vehicle in an odd direction for the Chinese market, making it bigger and less efficient with the newly revealed Volt MPV5 concept. The concept takes the styling cues of the Volt sedan that we're already familiar with and super-sizes it into a five-seat crossover.

The Volt MPV5 is only 0.6 inches longer in wheel base, but overall it is 7 inches longer than the sedan version. Height has been increased by about 7 inches and width has spread by 2.9 inches. The result is a vehicle that gives its five passengers a bit more elbow room.

Under the hood is the same Voltec powertrain consisting of a 111 kW (150 horsepower) electric motor that twists the Volt MPV5's front wheels to the tune of 273 pound-feet of torque. Electric power is supplied by the same T-shaped 16 kWh lithium ion battery that juices the sedan, but the heavier MPV5's EV range has been reduced to 32 miles (down from the 40-mile zero emission range of the Volt sedan).

Once the battery is exhausted, a 1.4-liter gasoline range extender takes over supplying electricity and keeping the electric powertrain spinning until the battery can be plugged in and recharged.… Read more

Kia to unveil mini MPV concept at Geneva

Kia has released this teaser image of an upcoming small MPV concept set to be unveiled at the 2009 Geneva auto show in March.

Kia's calling it a "Million Possibilities Vehicle," but we all know that MPV stands for "multipurpose vehicle" or, in plain English, a minivan. Honestly, when did minivan become such a dirty word that automakers just won't let themselves use it?

Since it will be a small MPV, you should try to imagine something about the size and shape of a Mazda Mazda5, but with the styling cues of the Kia Soul, … Read more