Eurovan (PSA/Fiat joint venture)
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| Eurovans | |
| Manufacturer: | Sevel Nord (for PSA/Fiat) |
|---|---|
| Production: | 1994–present |
| Class: | Large MPV |
| Body style: | 5-door minivan |
| Related: | Sevel Nord delivery vans |
| Similar: | Renault Espace Ford Galaxy / SEAT Alhambra / VW Sharan |
- "Eurovan" is also the American-market model name for the Volkswagen Transporter.
"Eurovan" might also refer to any European minivan or van - see list of vans and list of minivans
"Eurovans" is a common name applied[1] to nearly identical large MPVs resulting from Sevel, a joint-venture of PSA and Fiat, and manufactured at Sevel Nord factory in France, near Valenciennes. The first eurovans were sold as Citroën Evasion (Synergie), Fiat Ulysse, Lancia Zeta and Peugeot 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 and Peugeot Expert. They are more technically related to PSA than Fiat vehicles, as PSA governs the Sevel Nord part of the joint-venture.
[edit] First generation
| First generation | |
 |
|
| Also called: | Citroën Evasion (Synergie) Fiat Ulysse Lancia Zeta Peugeot 806 |
|---|---|
| Production: | 1994-2002 |
| Platform: | FF Sevel Nord van |
The first generation eurovans were introduced in 1994. They were similar in dimensions to their main competitor, Renault Espace, although they had a longer wheelbase. They were thus smaller than American vans, like the Chrysler 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.
[edit] Model peculiarities
[edit] 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 'getting away with it' in English). However, the car retained the Evasion name in New Zealand.
[edit] Fiat Ulysse
The Fiat was named after Ulysses, the Roman name for Odysseus, the hero of Homer's Odyssey. Ironically, one of Ulysse's competitors is Honda Odyssey. Fiat Ulysse is the only eurovan which has retained the same name in the second generation.
[edit] 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 "prestige" eurovan, not available with base engines and exceptionally well equipped, with prices up to 20% higher than corresponding versions of other eurovans.
[edit] 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 Kronos Racing unveiled a highly modified racing version of Peugeot 806 with internals of Peugeot 405 Mi16 touring car in 1995 season. 806 even raced in the Spa 24 Hours competition at Spa-Francorchamps, but did not finish due to engine failure.
The 806 was rebadged as 807 in 2003. This version had a 2.2-litre engine that was not available in the 806.
[edit] 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-speed manual transmissions, except for the 2.0 16v petroleum engine, which had an option of a 4-speed automatic
| Engine | Displacement | Power | Torque | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| XU10 2C OHC 8-valve I4 | 2.0 L (1998 cc/121 in³) | 121 PS (119 hp/89 kW) | 170 N·m (125 ft·lbf) | Not available for Lancia Zeta, phased out in 2000 |
| XU10 J2TE OHC 8-valve I4 low-pressure (mild) turbo | 2.0 L (1998 cc/121 in³) | 147 PS (145 hp/108 kW) | 235 N·m (173 ft·lbf) | Phased out in 2000 |
| EW10 DOHC 16-valve I4 | 2.0 L (1998 cc/121 in³) | 132 PS (130 hp/97 kW) | 180 N·m (133 ft·lbf) | Optional automatic transmission; replaced both previous petroleum engines in July 2000 |
| XUD9 OHC 8-valve I4 turboDiesel | 1.9 L (1905 cc/116 in³) | 90 PS (89 hp/66 kW) | 196 N·m (145 ft·lbf) | Phased out in 2000, not available for Lancia Zeta |
| XUD11 12-valve OHC turboDiesel | 2.1 L (2088 cc/127 in³) | 109 PS (108 hp/80 kW) | 250 N·m (184 ft·lbf) | Phased out in 2000 |
| DW10 OHC 8-valve I4 common rail turbodiesel | 2.0 L (1997 cc/121 in³) | 109 PS (108 hp/80 kW) | 250 N·m (184 ft·lbf) | PSA's new HDI engine, billed JTD by Fiat in spite of that; introduced in January 2000 to replace both previous diesels |
 1998 Citroën Evasion |
[edit] Second generation
| Second generation | |
 |
|
| Also called: | Citroen C8 Fiat Ulysse Lancia Phedra Peugeot 807 |
|---|---|
| Production: | 2002-present |
| Platform: | FF Sevel Nord van |
The 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 eurovans[2].
[edit] 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.
[edit] 807 GT
To highlight the launch of the V6 engine, Peugeot presented a design 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.
[edit] 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 ES V6.
All diesels were PSA's HDIs, but billed JTD by Fiat as well.
| Engine | Displacement | Power | Torque | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EW10 DOHC 16-valve I4 | 2.0 L (1998 cc/121 in³) | 132 PS (130 hp/97 kW) | 180 N·m (133 ft·lbf) | |
| EW12 DOHC 16-valve I4 | 2.2 L (2230 cc/136 in³) | 158 PS (156 hp/116 kW) | 217 N·m (160 ft·lbf) | Not available for Fiat or Lancia |
| ES9 DOHC 24-valve V6 | 2.9 L (2946 cc/179 in³) | 204 PS (201 hp/150 kW) | 285 N·m (210 ft·lbf) | Added in 2003, only available with automatic transmission |
| DW10 OHC 8-valve I4 common rail turboDiesel | 2.0 L (1997 cc/121 in³) | 109 PS (108 hp/80 kW) | 250 N·m (184 ft·lbf) | |
| DW12 DOHC 16-valve I4 common rail turboDiesel | 2.2 L (2179 cc/132 in³) | 128 PS (126 hp/94 kW) | 314 N·m (232 ft·lbf) | Only available with manual transmission, in 2005 changed to 6-speed |
[edit] References
- ^ Technik-Lexikon. autobild.de. Retrieved on 2006-07-19. (German)
- ^ (2006) Nowy Auto Katalog. Motor Presse Polska, 191-271. ISSN 1233-0793. - technical data based on 2005/06 models
[edit] External links
- Eurovan2, a site devoted to eurovans
- Citroen C8 at Citroenet
- Citroën C8 crash test
- C8 links Citroën World
- Peugeot 807 GT details at Ultimatecarpage.com
- Official C8 UK site
