The original Mazda MPV was a true crossover

While considered a minivan, the first-gen Mazda MPV was really more like a crossover.

It rode on a rear-wheel-drive platform and was available with a selectable four-wheel-drive system, as well as a V6 engine.

The MPV had traditional doors instead of sliding ones, and early models only had three.

When it was introduced in 1988 the MPV didn't have much competition in the US, but it was quickly outclassed in the early '90s by more traditional minivans from Japanese competitors.

Nowadays, with the crossover boom in full force, a modern version of the MPV could sell like hotcakes.

There's a big market in the US for overland-ready SUVs and vans, especially JDM vans from the 1990s, but there's no brand-new vehicle that really fits that niche.

With the right amount of versatility and off-road ability, a new MPV would be rad.

Mazda also doesn't have anything close to a minivan in its current lineup, so a new MPV would fill that space as well.

It would even be the perfect application for Mazda's new turbodiesel engine.