Remember the Renault Espace? The first generation was introduced in 1984 and was not only an instant success, but today it is regarded by many as an icon of automotive design. Beyond its style, it showcased the enormous versatility and practicality of a multipurpose vehicle (MPV), allowing families to travel in comfort with all their stuff without having to buy a van-based minibus from Toyota or Volkswagen.
Then the SUV came along and, while the Espace held on as long as it could, surprisingly in some markets until 2023, the SUV was too big and too strong. So what did Renault do? It released a new Espace, as an SUV, sacre bleu! The French marque could well regret that decision because, believe it or not, the MPV appears to be making a comeback, and as well as being just as practical as ever, some carmakers are releasing new models that are as luxurious as any executive sedan, in some cases even more so.
People are buying them too, with sales of what the Americans like to call the minivan up 20% in the US in 2025. In Canada sales rose 34%, the biggest increase of any segment. The MPV is back.
Even Porsche has one, though not one it has put into production. It created the Renndienst in 2018 in homage to the classic Porsche Rennsport Volkswagen van, but made the design study a six-seater MPV, one that looks seriously cool. It’s not the only cool MPV either because, like the radical, concept-vehicle-like styling of the original Espace, the latest MPV models are cool too. They are not vans turned into people-carriers, instead they are designed from the ground up to provide comfort, technology and luxury. They are business-class vehicles for the road that go beyond the BMW 7 Series or Mercedes-Benz S-Class, because they have even more space.
Initially they were aimed at chauffeur services, airport transfers and ride-hailing firms, though more Uber Luxury than Uber X. It’s all about the concept of a lounge on wheels, an idea created in many ways by autonomous vehicle design studies, but have become reality in a world where we still need to drive, or have a driver. The Chinese market has been leading the way with models like the new Xpeng X9 as many people there prefer to be driven rather than to drive themselves. The rest of the world has paid attention and now it seems they want to see the MPV back on our streets, but before you MPV fans get excited, the choices will be limited in South Africa, for now at least.
The Lexus LM is a prime example of how the MPV has elevated its status, with the option of seven seats or super luxurious folding business class chairs, a 21-speaker Mark Levinson sound system, a huge screen for video calls or movies, and suspension that keeps everything and everyone inside, relaxed. If Lexus has its LM, then not surprisingly Toyota has something too, and that is in the form of the Vellfire. This is not your average Toyota; it has vast captain seats with fold-out ottomans, touchscreens to control everything from infotainment to the seat massaging and heating/cooling functions and, of course, like the Lexus, it’s a hybrid.
Volvo, a company that today is renowned for its crossovers and SUVs, has also entered the chat with its EM90. Designed to be what Volvo calls a “living room on the move”, it still looks a tiny bit like a Volvo on the outside, while inside it has all that Scandinavian style and elegance you’d expect from the brand. It has a fold-down screen for rear passengers, smart surfaces to interact with, a 21-speaker Bowers and Wilkins sound system and, thanks to its air suspension and battery-electric drive, the ride can be as whisper quiet as you like.
It’s not all about top-end luxury in the MPV segment, even more regular models have some of the attributes that can give a Range Rover a run for its money. The top-selling model of the genre in the US is the Chrysler Pacifica, which has slightly more conservative styling than the Lexus or Volvo and has an interior that is more about soccer practice and school runs than high-level board meetings on the move.
That is, of course, where most of the MPVs are used to playing, think of the Hyundai Staria, Mercedes-Benz V-Class and the perennial favourite, the Volkswagen Transporter, essentially these days a Ford Transit with a Volksie badge.
The people-carrier never really went away, it just lost its way. While it may seem hard to imagine the future demise of the SUV, there are many in the motoring industry who already say they see it coming. When that happens, it could be the once-humble MPV that takes its place, or maybe we will see the return of the station wagon? That’s a whole other story, but you would be surprised what lurks inside the drawers of the world’s car designers.
