The
impressive concept is exceptionally roomy and despite the impression
of bulk portrayed by its exterior, it only measures 2.5 inches more
in overall length than the Dodge Grand Caravan minivan. Overhangs
are short both fore and aft. There is a high
beltline,
tall bumpers and a strong body character line -- all working to pull
the powerful design elements pleasingly together.
Moving to
the luxurious interior, one realizes instantly, that the MAXXcab does
indeed give greater priority to passengers over cargo and mere utilitarian
purpose. In addition to sumptuous seating for up to five, the ergonomically
friendly cab interior offers a plethora of electronic wizardry -- many
never before found in any vehicle, let alone a truck. Surrounded by rich
cream colored leather upholstery with navy colored inserts, polished wood
accents, brushed aluminum and chrome, advanced features abound that allow
the MAXXcab to serve as an office-on-wheels, an entertainment center or
a mobile day care facility without giving up the ability to carry a half-ton
payload and to do a full day's work.
Up
front resides a driver "Infotronic" system capable of accommodating
the need for gathering information and data while on the road. This
is accomplished by a "plug-and-play" laptop computer port housed in
the center console with a
toaster-style
pop-up feature. Liquid crystal displays for the system appear in both
the instrument and in the rear of the console. The driver (or front
passenger) may access mobile office screens and the Internet via voice
recognition for traffic information, weather updates and personal
e-mail. Voice prompts also activate the telephone and the vehicle's
navigation and diagnostic systems. This system operates at roughly
one-third the speed of a home system with a Cellular Digital Packet
Data (CD-PD) modem. A higher speed (more than double) system called
Ricochet II is available in limited market areas. The audio source
is derived from the owner's laptop in downloadable MP3 files or alternative
music formats such as Sony's memory stick chips or compact flash cards.
The rear
cabin area is geared to the younger set with three minivan-style child
safety seats built in for toddlers and older offspring, with the middle
seat power-controlled from the front, enabling parents to move the seat
forward, closer to the front seats creating a "kid-cocoon." The child
seats feature additional side bolsters for comfortable napping or rest
time, with lower side nets for toy storage. There is an "Edu-tainment"
system complete with a DVD player, Internet access and a handheld sketch
pad linked to a secondary plug-in laptop computer that fits beneath the
rear seat.
