Cars - Sport utility vehicle

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	Cars - Sport utility vehicle

A sport utility vehicle, or SUV, is a type of passenger vehicle which combines passenger-carrying and load-hauling abilities with the versatility of a pickup truck. Most SUVs are designed with a roughly square cross-section, an engine comportment, a passenger and cargo compartment, and no dedicated hood. Most mid-size and full-size SUVs have 5 or more seats, and a cargo area directly behind the last row of seats. Small SUVs, such as the Jeep Wrangler, typically have less seats.

It is known in some countries as an off-roader or four wheel drive, often abbreviated to 4WD or 4x4, and pronounced "four-by-four". More recently, SUVs designed primarily for driving on roads have grown in popularity. A new category, the crossover SUV uses car components for lighter weight and better fuel economy.

Design characteristics

SUVs were traditionally derived from light truck platforms, but have developed to have the general shape of a station wagon. SUVs are typically taller, though, with a roughly square cross-section.

SUVs typically have higher seating than a station wagon and can be equipped with four wheel drive, providing an advantage in low traction environments. The design also allows for a large engine compartment, and many SUVs have large V-6 or V-8 engines. In countries where fuel is more expensive, buyers often opt for diesel engines, which have better fuel efficiency, and given that diesel fuel itself is often much cheaper than gasoline.

Popularity

SUVs became popular in US, Canada, and Australia, especially so in the 1990s and early 2000s for a variety of reasons. Buyers became drawn to their large cabins, higher ride height, and perceived safety when in the market for a new vehicle. Additionally, most large SUVs have far greater towing capacities than conventional cars, allowing owners to tow RVs, trailers, and boats with relative ease, adding to the utilitarian image.

A large growth in SUV popularity and sales is due to advertisement targeted towards women. Women constitute more than half of SUV drivers, and SUVs are the preferred vehicle choice of women.

The most common reason for SUV popularity cited by owners was their safety advantage in a collision with regular cars. Some of their success is also due to their image, a substantial factor for many buyers. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, vehicle manufacturers sold the image of SUVs very effectively, with per-vehicle profits substantially higher than other automobiles. Historically, their simple designs and often outdated technology (by passenger car standards) often made the vehicles cheaper to make than comparably-priced cars. Still, SUVs are more expensive than sedans of similar quality and features.

In the mid 2000s, however, their popularity has waned, due to higher gasoline prices after a period of low prices when SUVs became popular. Current model SUVs take into account that 98% of SUV owners never offroad. As such, SUVs now have lower ground clearance and suspension designed primarily for paved road usage.

History

Descended from commercial and military vehicles such as the Jeep and Land Rover, SUVs have been popular for many years with rural buyers due to their off-road abilities. In the last 25 years, and even more in the last decade, they have become popular with urban buyers. Consequently, more modern SUVs often come with more luxury features and some crossover SUVs, such as the BMW X5, the Acura MDX, and the Toyota RAV4, have adopted lower ride heights and car chassis to better accommodate their use for on-road driving.

Hybrid technology

The 2005 Ford Escape Hybrid is the first hybrid SUV, with a hybrid version of the Lexus RX 330 (known as the RX 400h) also available. Shortly after the Escape Hybrid's introduction, Mercury introduced a hybrid version of its Mariner, which is a lightly restyled Ford Escape. A hybrid version of the Toyota Highlander is available, and hybrids of the Mazda Tribute and Saturn VUE are in the pipeline. While some manufacturers (most notably Toyota in the Lexus RX 400h) are using added power generated from the hybrid systems primarily to give vehicles added performance, these hybrid SUVs still offer equal or better fuel efficiency than their conventionally-powered counterparts.

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Cars - Sport utility vehicle

Design characteristics

Popularity

History

Hybrid technology

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