Since the dawn of time, or at least around about 1950, Volkswagen has produced a minivan. We didn鈥檛 call it such then. Whether in its original Beetle-based rear-engine configuration, or its later front-engine/front-drive layout, Volkswagen鈥檚 minivans have been practical to a fault, seemingly having more room inside than the outside would allow. But they鈥檝e also been slow. Even the 2000 Eurovan, with 140 horsepower under its blunt snout, was more barn than barnburner. But for 2001, VW fired up the Eurovan. The 鈥?1 has almost half again as much horsepower with a new 201-horsepower version of its VR6 V6 engine. 26,200 for the 鈥?1 models on sale in March. An electronic stability program (ESP) comes standard on all 2001 models, along with 16-inch alloy wheels. Enhancements including a new premium stereo, individual chairs for second row seating and standard integrated fog lights help further Americanize the Eurovan. In a world of increasingly similar minivans, each striving to be more car-like than the other, the Volkswagen EuroVan is decidedly different. It鈥檚 shaped like a box where others are round and sleek.
It has a significantly higher driving position, and it lacks a left-side sliding door. It also offers unique options, such as rear-facing second-row seats and a camper body. Among today鈥檚 sleek minivans, the EuroVan stands out in more ways than one. 27,700 Multivan or MV. The primary difference between the GLS and MV models is their seating arrangements. EuroVan GLS contains traditional forward-facing center and rear seats, with last year鈥檚 optional individual seats for the second row made standard this year. The MV replaces the second-row bench with a pair of rear-facing seats 鈥?positioned back-to-back with the front seats. In addition to the GLS and MV models, Volkswagen offers a Winnebago Camper model with a longer wheelbase (by 15.7 inches). It鈥檚 just the thing for that big trip to Yellowstone. It can be outfitted with a pop-up roof, full-swiveling captain鈥檚 chairs, two-burner LP gas stove, refrigerator and other amenities. 3,235 Weekender Package available on the MV comes with a pop-up canopy top and many of the other amenities of the Camper without the longer wheelbase. Remove the nameplates and badges from a parking lot full of minivans and Volkswagen鈥檚 EuroVan would be the easiest to identify.
It looks like no other minivan on the market. And despite the fact that there鈥檚 nothing else like it in the Volkswagen showroom, it somehow has a look that is undeniably Volkswagen. Though it looks at home in major European cities, it offers a unique appearance here in the USA. The front end is plain, interrupted only by lights and the radiator grille. Only a UPS van is more slab-sided. It is attractive in a form-follows-function way. Most love it or loathe it. Driving around Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, we were surprised to discover that our Hot Chili Red Metallic (maroon) EuroVan MV attracted considerable attention from Gen-Xers. Maybe they were fantasizing about filling the rear window with Grateful Dead and Nine Inch Nails stickers. Volkswagen鈥檚 modern EuroVan does indeed bear some resemblance to the VW microbuses of old. Mechanically, it is completely different. It鈥檚 front-wheel drive instead of rear-wheel drive. The engine is mounted in front (transversely), instead of in the rear.
The engine is Volkswagen鈥檚 water-cooled V6, not an air-cooled horizontally opposed four-cylinder. All Eurovans come with Volkswagen鈥檚 innovative 2.8-liter narrow-angle VR6 used in some of Volkswagen鈥檚 performance sedans. For 2001, however, the VR6 engine has been fitted with a new cylinder head with four valves per cylinder. Improved breathing from the 24-valve head allows the engine to rev higher and gives it a huge jump in top-end horsepower. Output has been raised to 201 horsepower at 6200 rpm from last year鈥檚 140 horsepower at 4500 rpm. This year鈥檚 engine also has more grunt across the board, producing 181 foot-pounds of torque from 2500 to 5500 rpm (verses last year鈥檚 177 lbs.-ft. The tradeoff is an appetite for premium fuel, which it burns at an EPA-estimated city/highway 15/20 miles per gallon. All EuroVans come with a 4-speed automatic transmission with adaptive programming. Traction control and an electronic stability program (ESP) are standard, as is an electronic differential lock to help pull the EuroVan out of slippery spots.
