| A sport utility vehicle, or SUV is a | | | | Long-travel suspension (for off road/rough |
| passenger vehicle which combines the towing | | | | road use) |
| capacity of a pickup truck with the | | | | |
| passenger-carrying space of a sedan. Some | | | | High load and tow capacity |
| SUV's seat 8 or more people making them an | | | | |
| alternative to two separate vehicles[1][2]. | | | | Large interior cabin space |
| Most SUVs are designed with a roughly square | | | | |
| cross-section, an engine compartment, a | | | | 5-7 Seats |
| combined passenger and cargo compartment, and | | | | |
| no dedicated trunk. Most mid-size and | | | | Combination safety features (For example, |
| full-size SUVs have three rows of seats with | | | | multiple air bags and side impact protection) |
| a cargo area directly behind the last row of | | | | |
| seats. Compact SUVs and mini SUVs, such as | | | | |
| the Toyota RAV4 and Suzuki Vitara, may have | | | | 4WD, or the ability to be equipped with 4WD |
| five or fewer seats. | | | | |
| | | | Low Fuel Economy |
| It is known in some countries as an off-road | | | | |
| vehicle or four-wheel drive, often | | | | Due to consumer trends, several companies now |
| abbreviated to 4WD or 4x4, and pronounced | | | | also produce crossover SUV models, based on a |
| "four-by-four". However, not all SUVs have | | | | unibody architecture. Typically, these models |
| four-wheel drive capabilities. Conversely, | | | | are lighter and more fuel efficient than |
| not all 4WD passenger vehicles are SUVs (see, | | | | traditional SUVs. Crossover models sacrifice |
| for example, Subaru Impreza), and not all | | | | off road features and load capacity for a |
| SUV's feature 4wd (see Mazda Tribute). | | | | performance/ride experience more closely |
| | | | matching that of a large model family car, |
| More recently, manufacturers have responded | | | | while maintaining much of the appearance of a |
| to buyer's complaints that SUVs "drive like | | | | traditional SUV. |
| trucks" and demands for "carlike ride" with a | | | | |
| new type of SUV. A new category, the | | | | Sport utility vehicles were originally |
| crossover SUV uses car design and components | | | | descended from commercial and military |
| for lighter weight and better fuel | | | | vehicles such as the Jeep and Land Rover. [4] |
| efficiency, but is no longer designed or | | | | SUVs have been popular for many years with |
| recommended by the manufacturer for off-road | | | | rural buyers due to their off-road |
| usage or towing. | | | | capabilities. The Toyota Land Cruiser, Land |
| | | | Rover, Jeep Wagoneer and the Ford Bronco were |
| Although designs vary, the SUV are | | | | early SUV examples, followed by the Chevrolet |
| stereotypically medium sized non-commercial | | | | Blazer and the GMC Jimmy. International |
| passenger vehicles constructed using a | | | | Harvester also sold SUVs, notably the |
| body-on-frame chassis similar to that found | | | | three-door Scout and the five-door Travelall. |
| on crew cab or light truck. They can be | | | | |
| either gas or Diesel. | | | | In the last 25 years, and even more in the |
| | | | last decade, SUVs have become popular with |
| Common features include: | | | | urban buyers. Consequently, more modern SUVs |
| | | | often come with luxury features and some |
| High ride height and seating position | | | | crossover SUVs, such as the Nissan Murano, |
| | | | BMW X5, Acura MDX, and Toyota RAV4, have |
| Utilitarian/High drag body configuration | | | | adopted lower ride heights and utilize |
| | | | unibody construction to better accommodate |
| High capacity engine | | | | on-road driving. |
| | | | |