Remove the nameplates and badges from a parking lot full of minivans and Volkswagen's EuroVan would be the easiest to identify. It looks like no other minivan on the market. And despite the fact that there's 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 functional way. Most love it or loath 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. The EuroVan does indeed bear some resemblance to the VW microbuses of old. Mechanically, it's completely different. The water-cooled V6 is the 2.8-liter narrow-angle VR6 used in various VW automobiles. It has been retuned for improved low-rpm power for the EuroVan, producing 177 foot-pounds of torque from 3000 to 3400 rpm. This allows the EuroVan to tow a 4,400-pound trailer. The engine is mounted transversely, a snug fit under the short hood, but all service items are readily accessible. All EuroVans come with a 4-speed automatic transmission with adaptive programming. Low-speed traction control is standard. Suspension is fully independent, with double wishbones and torsion bars up front and semi-trailing arms and coils at the rear. ABS is standard, working on power-assisted four-wheel disc brakes. A load-proportional braking system biases brake pressure front-to-rear as needed -- a nice feature when loaded with heavy gear. Alloy wheels are standard. Ground clearance is generous at 7 inches, but the overall height of 6 foot 4 inches will make some parking garages a tight fit overhead.
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