Minivan (sometimes called simply a van) is a car classification for vehicles designed to transport passengers in the rear seating row(s), with reconfigurable seats in two or three rows [citation needed]. The equivalent classification in Europe is MPV (multi-purpose vehicle) or M-segment - and are taller than a sedan car, hatchback, SUV or station wagon.[2][3][4][5]

Compared with a full-size van, most minivans are based on a passenger car platform and have a lower body. Early models such as the Ford Aerostar and Chevrolet Astro utilized a compact pickup truck platform.[6][7] Minivans often have a 'one-box' or 'two-box' body configuration, a higher roof, a flat floor, sliding doors for rear passengers, and high H-point seating. The largest size of minivans is also referred to as 'Large MPV' and became popular following the introduction of the 1984 Dodge Caravan and Renault Espace. Typically, these have platforms derived from D-segment passenger cars or compact pickups. Since the 1990s, the smaller compact MPV and mini MPV sizes of minivans have also become popular.[8]

Though predecessors to the minivan date back to the 1930s, the contemporary minivan body style was developed concurrently by several companies in the early 1980s, most notably by Chrysler (producer of the Chrysler minivans) and Renault (the Renault Espace), both first sold for model year 1984. Minivans cut into and eventually overshadowed the traditional market of the station wagon and grew in global popularity and diversity throughout the 1990s. Since the 2000s, their reception has varied in different parts of the world: in North America, for example, they have been largely eclipsed by crossovers and SUVs, while in Asia they are commonly marketed as luxury vehicles.