Microvan

A microvan is a

bus

; the term is also used generally to refer to any type of three-row MPVs.

Outside of China and Japan, microvans are also common in

multi-purpose vehicles.^{[citation needed}

Economics

Tax and insurance benefits in some locations make these models particularly inexpensive. For example, in rural Japan, kei-car vehicles are exempted from a certification that adequate parking is available for the vehicle.[2] They are, therefore, widely used for small businesses in these places.

Design

The first vehicle to adopt the bodystyle of a van, with the engine installed in front of the driver, was the 1970s

cabover approach where the engine is installed beneath the driver, while still using all-wheel or rear-wheel drive powertrains. Cabover variants usually share their chassis with kei truck

derivatives from the same manufacturer.

Most microvans have two swinging front doors, two

sliding rear doors and a large tailgate. Seating can vary from two to nine; these seats are usually very thin and vertical to optimise room. The side windows in commercial-only versions of microvans are replaced by metallic panels; this type of microvan is sometimes called a "blind van".^{[citation needed]} Some models also feature pick-up

variants with one or two seat rows. Engines usually have displacements under 1.0 L; for example, Japanese microvans have a limit of 660 cc. Outside the Japanese market, microvans are available with 850-cc to 1.6-L engines.

The kei car regulation is used only in Japan, though other Asian automakers also design microvans with similar characteristics. The microvans are commonly known as "

kei one-box" in Japan; their pick-up versions are known as kei trucks

.