Make Room For New Crossover Family Cars And SUVs

Ford Minivans won't be around much longer. Ford Motor Co. announced it would discontinue the traditional egg-shaped minivans - the Mercury Monterey and Ford Freestar - to replace them for a crossover between family cars and SUVs.

The design will be based on the Fairlane concept car introduced in the 2005 North American International Auto Show, an all-wheel-drive, 3-row, 6-passenger vehicle with hints of Range Rover styling. According to The Detroit News, it will more than likely be built on the same platform as the Five Hundred sedan and Freestyle crossover utility vehicle.

Interior space will be the same of a minivan, but laid out more conveniently. The reclining second row seats were inspired by first-class aircraft seating, taking comfort to a whole new level. In short, it provides plenty of space, boxy versatility and traditional functionality in a more appealing package.

Low sales are part of the reason why Ford is taking this new turn. The Mercury Monterey sales dropped 40% and Ford's Freestar fell by 20%, reports Autoweek. But in reality, many manufacturers have been trying to revamp the look of minivans for quite some time. Just take a look at these models that choose a well-defined hood instead of the typical, sloped, boring minivan style:

"Crossover sport vans" are the new family-oriented cars on the horizon. The transition has already started, just like when the minivan replaced the old station wagon decades ago. The Ford Fairlane-based vehicle is a bolder move in this direction, although it is yet unclear how much of the concept vehicle will transfer over to the minivan replacement.

Production of the Mercury Monterey will stop this fall and the Ford Freestar won't make it past 2007. The new model is expected to debut in 2008.

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