A microvan is a van or minivan that fits into Japanese kei car classification or similar, and is smaller than a mini MPV.
In China, these vehicles are nicknamed mian bao che (" bread loaf vehicle ") because of their shape, in a similar fashion, in several Hispanic American countries these vehicles are called Pan de Molde, which means " bread loaf ".
Outside China and Japan, microvans are notably common in Southeast Asia, South Asia, Africa, Latin America and Middle East.
Economics
Tax and insurance benefits in some places make these models particularly inexpensive. For example, in rural Japan kei car vehicles are exempted from a certification that there is adequate parking available for the vehicle. They are therefore widely used for small business in these places.
Design
The first vehicle to adopt the style of a van, with the engine installed in front of the driver was the 1970s Honda Life "StepVan". Some microvans utilize a drivetrain with the engine installed transversely, using front or all wheel drive, while others use a cab over approach where the engine is installed beneath the driver, while still utilizing all wheel drive or rear drive powertrains. Cab over 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.
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