- Eurovan (PSA/Fiat joint venture)
Infobox Automobile
name=Eurovans
manufacturer=Sevel Nord (for PSA/Fiat )
production=1994–present
class=Large MPV
body_style=5-doorminivan
related=Sevel Nord delivery vans
similar=Renault Espace Ford Galaxy /SEAT Alhambra / VW Sharan:"TheVolkswagen Transporter was also marketed in North America as "Volkswagen Eurovan".__NOTOC__"Eurovans" is a common name appliedcite web|url=http://www.autobild.de/test/techniklexikon/technik_lexikon.php?aktion=3&id=860|title=Technik-Lexikon|work=autobild.de|accessdate=2006-07-19 De icon] to nearly identicallarge MPV s resulting fromSevel , a joint-venture of PSA andFiat , and manufactured atSevel Nord factory inFrance , nearValenciennes . The first eurovans were sold asCitroën Evasion (Synergie),Fiat Ulysse,Lancia Zeta andPeugeot 806. The present, second generation, saw the renaming of all but the Ulysse to Citroën C8, Lancia Phedra and Peugeot 807 respectively.The eurovans differ little technically and visually, being a prime example of
badge engineering . The eurovans share mechanicals and body structure with Sevel light commercial vans, Citroën Jumpy (Dispatch),Fiat Scudo andPeugeot Expert . They are more technically related to PSA than Fiat vehicles, as PSA governs the Sevel Nord part of the joint-venture.First generation
Infobox Automobile generation
name=First generation
aka = Citroën Evasion (Synergie)
Fiat Ulysse
Lancia Zeta
Peugeot 806
production=1994-2002
platform= FF Sevel Nord vanThe first generation eurovans were introduced in 1994. They were similar in dimensions to their main competitor,
Renault Espace , although they had a longerwheelbase . They were thus smaller than American vans, like theChrysler Voyager , which is also a popular model in Europe. In contrast to the Espace and like American minivans they had sliding rear side doors, a trait they share with their commercial siblings. In spite of the fact that the Voyager also came in the "Grand" versions with elongated body and wheelbase (and the Espace followed suit in 1997), the eurovans only came in one size.The Eurovans were almost identical, the differences consisting in different grilles, lower tailgates/taillights, wheel covers/alloy wheels and exterior and interior badging, as well as different trim levels. In October 1998, the eurovans were mildly facelifted.
Inside, the gear lever was mounted on the dashboard rather than on the floor, and the handbrake is on the door side of the driver's seat, which allowed for the elimination of central console and opened up a passage between the front seats. The seating configurations included two fixed seats in front and three individual removable seats in the middle row, along with optional two individual removable seats or a three-seater bench in the third row.
Model peculiarities
Citroën Evasion (Synergie)
The Evasion was badged Synergie in the right hand drive markets of the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, presumably due to the existence of the English word "evasion" which is pronounced differently from the French and has different connotations (the word means 'getting away from it all' in French but 'escaping' or 'avoiding' (esp. by subterfuge) in English). However, the car retained the Evasion name in New Zealand.
Fiat Ulysse
The
Fiat was named after Ulysses, the Roman name forOdysseus , the hero ofHomer 's "Odyssey ". Ironically, one of Ulysse's competitors isHonda Odyssey . Fiat Ulysse is the only eurovan which has retained the same name in the second generation.Lancia Zeta
Following the traditional naming theme,
Lancia named its variant with the, previously unused, Greek letter "Zeta". With its big chrome grille, the Lancia served as the "premium" eurovan, not available with base engines and exceptionally well equipped, with prices up to 20% higher than corresponding versions of other eurovans.Peugeot 806
The 806 was named according to Peugeot's trademarked "x0x" system, where the first digit indicates model series (vehicle size/class), while the last indicates the generation, with a central zero. The biggest Peugeot series to date was the executive sedan line "60x", so Peugeot chose 8, leaving room for potential other model. The eurovans were launched when Peugeot was replacing the "x05" with "x06" models, so it was appropriately labelled "806".
Belgian racing team [http://www.kronosracing.com/ Kronos Racing] unveiled a highly modified racing version of Peugeot 806 with internals of
Peugeot 405 Mi16touring car in 1995 season. 806 even raced in theSpa 24 Hours competition at Spa-Francorchamps, but did not finish due to engine failure.Engines
The first-generation eurovans utilized PSA's XU/XUD engines, regardless of brand. They were later replaced by the
PSA EW/DW engine . All were mated to 5-speedmanual transmission s, except for the 2.0 16v petroleum engine, which had an option of a 4-speed automaticSecond generation
Infobox Automobile generation
name=Second generation
aka = Citroen C8
Fiat Ulysse
Lancia Phedra
Peugeot 807
production=2002-present
platform= FF Sevel Nord vanThe first-generation eurovans were superseded by a new model in 2002. The floorpan, wheelbase and suspension setup were not altered, but all exterior dimensions as well as front and rear tracks were increased. In particular, the increase in length by almost 30 cm greatly enhanced interior capacity. The new eurovans were afforded a much more bubbly, contemporary look, along with a modern-looking dashboard with centrally mounted gauges. The differences are now more pronounced, encompassing entire front fascias and rear sections (including head- and taillights), as well as different interior color themes. The Fiat and the Lancia are slightly wider than PSA vans, and the Phedra is also longer than other eurovanscite book | title=Nowy Auto Katalog | publisher=Motor Presse Polska | year=2006 | id=ISSN 1233-0793 |pages=191-271 - technical data based on 2005/06 models] .
Names
Except for the Fiat Ulysse, all the models have been renamed. The 806 was, as expected, replaced by 807, while Citroën chose to put the minivan in line with its new naming theme, where models were called Cx (x being a number roughly corresponding to the relative size of a given model), hence the Citroën C8. As the new Lancias didn't use Greek letters anymore, the new minivan was called Lancia Phedra, in honor of the Greek mythological figure Phaedra.
807 GT
To highlight the launch of the
V6 engine, Peugeot presented adesign study called Peugeot 807 Grand Toursime at the 2003 Geneva Motor Show. Apart from the exquisite appointment of the 4-passenger interior and some mechanical and visual tuning, the car was essentially a top-of-the-line 807 in a peculiar purple color.Engines
The engine range comprised again of different versions of the
PSA EW/DW engine , paired with either 5-speed manual or 4-speed automatic transmissions. Additionally, top-of-the-line versions came with the PSA ESV6 .All diesels were PSA's HDIs, but billed JTD by Fiat as well.
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*References
External links
* [http://www.eurovan2.com/ Eurovan2, a site devoted to eurovans]
* [http://www.synergie-806-ulysse.blogspot.com The Synergie, 806, Ulysse affair: A Synergie owners blog]
* [http://www.citroenet.org.uk/passenger-cars/psa/c8/c8-index.html Citroen C8 at Citroenet]
* [http://crash.citroen1.info/ Citroën C8 crash test]
* [http://world.citroen1.info/ C8 links Citroën World]
* [http://www.citroen-online.co.uk/citroen-c8/ Official C8 UK site]
* [http://www.lanciaphedra.com lanciaphedra.com]
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