What is a minibus?
Auto Terms,  Car body,  Car device

What is a minibus?

A minibus is a vehicle. The main characteristics that distinguish it from other cars are the spaciousness and height of the cabin with at least two rows of seats. The number of seats, as a rule, does not exceed 16. The large capacity and comfortable conditions allow using transport for flights. The base for the creation of minibuses is the chassis of cars or trucks.

Some models of minivans can be attributed to this type of vehicle. The main difference lies in the number of rows of seats, the minivan does not exceed three and the height of the cabin, which is much lower than that of the minibus.

What is a minibus?

This model is in great demand not only in ordinary passenger transportation, but also in various specialized institutions, for example, ambulances, laboratories, various types of construction and repair areas.

The main types of minibuses

There are three main types of minibuses:

1. Passengerwhich is the most popular type. The main function of this minibus is to transport passengers. The car can be equipped with a comfortable interior and various elements for a comfortable trip. As a rule, these models have a stylish design for both the exterior and interior. In most cases, they are equipped with an economical power unit that develops a fairly high speed. Upgraded versions of passenger minibuses are produced with more comfortable travel conditions.

2. Cargo type typical for the transportation of various volumes of goods. Basically, this type is intended for the carriage of both intracity and interregional flights. The cargo compartment is characterized by large dimensions and volumes. The main feature that separates this type from others is the lack of passenger seats (except for the cabin). The carrying capacity is on average two tons. Side and rear doors are provided for loading cargo. With a heavy load, a cargo minibus develops a fairly high speed of up to 100 km / h due to good technical data. The cab has good comfort conditions and is designed for the driver's seat and one / two passengers.

3. Utility minibus Designed for the simultaneous transportation of both passengers and cargo. This type is designed on the basis of buses and truck chassis. Basically, these models are equipped with a comfortable interior, an economical engine and an excellent capacity of the luggage compartment. This “combined” type is perfectly used for cargo delivery, moving, departures of repair teams, as well as business trips and various events.

4. Classic type presented with a body made of solid metal, and the capacity does not exceed 9 passengers. The luggage compartment is characterized by a large capacity and is separated from the passenger compartment. Most of the cargo-passenger vans are presented in this form, but also with a progressive growth there are various modernizations that affect the immobility of the partition between the compartments and regulate the number of seats and cargo volume.

The main types of minibuses

What is a minibus?

A passenger minibus does not exceed 16 seats, located in two rows and is used for transporting passengers at different distances (urban and intercity flights).

A cargo-passenger minibus is characterized by the presence of up to 9 seats. As a rule, 3 seats are in the cab of the car, and the remaining 6 are divided by 3 seats in the longitudinal / transverse rows of bodies.

The number of seats in a cargo minibus is limited, seats are provided only in the cabin, as a rule, one driver's seat and two passenger seats nearby.

Major manufacturers of minibuses

A fairly large number of car companies are engaged in the production of minibuses. The main manufacturers include such popular brands as German Mercedes-Benz, Opel and Volkswagen, American Ford, Italian Fiat, French Citroen and Renault. It is European manufacturers that are very popular, minibuses are valued all over the world due to their high level of quality, reliability and safety.

What is a minibus?

Mercedes has long been at the forefront of the international market in the sale of not only passenger cars, but also minibuses. The Mercedes-Benz Sprinter family plays a special role, the first car made its debut in 1995. Sprinter is available in both four-wheel drive and rear-wheel drive, and belongs to the small-tonnage commercial vehicles. This model has many varieties and functions from the usual transportation of passengers to the transportation of goods.

The company pays special attention to the modernization of cars, which is clearly visible in the improved technical characteristics, in design, in the cargo capacity, as well as in the conditions inside the cabin, which create maximum comfort and convenience. The versatility of minibuses with wide capabilities of this company gives the priority right to consider Mercedes-Benz as one of the main manufacturers.

What is a minibus?

Automaker Opel also occupies a priority position in the production of minibuses. The legendary Opel Vivaro series has been released in several generations, the last one dates back to 2019. The passenger version of the minibus was named Opel Zafira. This series is equipped with good design graphics. The originality of the headlights, the grille and the overall design make the Zafira stand out from the rest. But the interior is almost identical to the models of Peugeot and Toyota, since the models are created on the same base.

What is a minibus?

Another German manufacturing company is Volkswagen, which has been manufacturing minibuses since the 50s of the last century. The most characteristic series is the Transporter. The latest generation of this series “keeps up with the times”. Signature car design (especially changes in the bumper, grille and headlights), high technical data including equipping with a powerful engine and the process of upgrading the transmission and other mechanisms of the car have made a massive demand in the market since 2015.

What is a minibus?

Renault is a French automaker. The boom in the production of minibuses in the company began in 1981 with the advent of the Renault Traffic model. The car is presented in several generations, the most popular is the third generation of 2014 release. Three sets are presented. There are also different variations of engines, and a choice of body length and roof height. The performance of engines based on the 1.6-liter dCi engine makes it as economical as possible. Each model has high technical characteristics and equipment with new technologies to create comfort.

What is a minibus?

Ford is also considered the leader in the production of minibuses. When creating minibuses, the company was guided by the fact that the car should be reliable, simple and safe, since this type of car is a working tool. The Ford Transit family began its debut in the 1960s and is still relevant today. Most of the modernized models have excellent technical data, the interior design is very similar to the company's off-road vehicles. Well thought-out design and created conditions for the comfort of passengers and the driver, as well as an economical engine make Ford minibuses the best choice.

What is a minibus?

The Citroen car company gained popularity in the market with the release of the SpaceTourer in 2016. Several versions are presented with different engine variations “for every taste and color”. The machine is equipped with the introduction of comfortable conditions based on new technologies. This model range represents many versions, each has its own characteristics and cost.

What is a minibus?

Since the 1980s, the Italian automaker Fiat has released the first generation of the Fiat Ducato, a minibus with good load-carrying capacity. The upgraded third generation was released in 2006 and still exists. In the process of many modifications, the car has both good external characteristics and technical data in a more powerful engine and increased payload. The car has several configuration options - from a passenger minibus to a cargo one.

What is a minibus?

Questions and answers:

What brands of minibuses are there? Almost all world-renowned car manufacturers also produce minibuses. In the list of brands: Citroen, Dodge, Fiat, Ford, GMC, Mercedes, Honda, Nissan, etc.

What is the most reliable bead? Mercedes Sprinter is popular among motorists. But the Volkswagen Transporter is considered more reliable, safer and has a good payload.

What is the name of the commercial minibus? These cars are called vans. They have an all-metal construction and can be converted to carry passengers (vehicle re-registration required).

Add a comment