When it comes to carrying the family around, it’s hard to beat a minivan and an MPV. Its main priority is practicality, and these vehicles deliver that in spades.
The thing is, minivans and MPVs aren’t exactly abundant in ground clearance. Thankfully for its target audience, we’re starting to see more of these getting higher off the road.
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Japan's largest automaker is well aware of this, of course. The company rolled out a concept for a rugged minivan during last year’s Japan Mobility Show. It was called the Toyota X-Van Gear Concept, and it appears to be headed for production. Patent photos from the Japan Patent and Trademark Office seem to corroborate that.
Registered by Toyota Auto Body, the patent images appear to be the production version of the high-riding minivan. It’s worth pointing out that Toyota Auto Body is the division that assembles models such as the Land Cruiser family, the Alphard and its siblings, Noah and Voxy minivans, and the Hiace, to name a few.
The van doesn’t have a name just yet, but should this be the production version, it doesn’t look too different from the concept model. The body claddings remain, so do the high ground clearance, sliding doors, and boxy exterior. It’s possible that it will be based on the smaller version of the Alphard, the Noah and Voxy twins. If anything, it reminds of the Honda Element that was produced from 2003 to 2011, albeit smaller.
The trend of ‘adventure type’ vehicles seems to be growing in Japan yet again. Models such as the Delica D:5 have been around for quite some time, but we’re also seeing more jacked-up versions of kei cars, hatchbacks, and vans over there. With that, we wouldn’t be too surprised if Toyota wants to offer even more of these in its home market.
