Sport utility vehicle

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A sport utility vehicle (SUV) is a generic marketing description for a vehicle similar to a station wagon but built on a light-truck chassis.^[1] Usually equipped with four-wheel drive for on or off-road ability, some SUVs include the towing capacity of a pickup truck with the passenger-carrying space of a minivan. SUVs are considered light trucks and often share the same platforms of pickups and thus are regulated less stringently than passenger cars under two major laws in the U.S.—the Energy Policy and Conservation Act for fuel economy standards, and the Clean Air Act for emissions standards^[2]

It is known in some countries as an "off-road vehicle" or "four-wheel drive", often abbreviated to "4WD" or "4x4", pronounced "four-by-four". However, not all SUVs have four-wheel drive capabilities. Conversely, not all 4WD passenger vehicles are SUVs. Off-road vehicles are a very different class of vehicles, being vehicles primarily built for off-road use. However this distinction is often not made by the general public and in the media. Although some SUVs have off-road capabilities, this is often a secondary role and they often do not have the ability to switch between 2WD, 4WD high gearing and 4WD low gearing. While automakers frequently tout a particular SUV's off-road prowess with advertising and naming, the daily use of SUVs is largely paved roads and urban areas. This also causes the term SUV to be used as a denigrating term by owners of "real" off-road vehicles.

Initially extremely popular in the late 1990s and early 2000s, the SUV's popularity has since declined. Due to high oil prices and a declining economy since the mid-2000s, manufacturers have responded to buyers' complaints. The traditional truck-based SUV is gradually being supplanted by a new vehicle type, the crossover SUV, which uses an automobile platform for lighter weight and better fuel efficiency.

Contents 1 Design characteristics 2 History 2.1 Origins 2.2 Popularity 3 Use in remote areas 4 Use in recreation and motorsport 5 Luxury SUV 6 Other names 7 See also 8 References 9 Additional reading 10 External links

[edit] Design characteristics

Although designs vary, the SUVs have historically been mid-sized passenger vehicles constructed using a body-on-frame chassis similar to that found on light trucks. They usually have gasoline engines, often employing similar engines as pickup trucks, while a few SUVs are diesels.

Most SUVs are designed with a square cross-section, an engine compartment, a combined passenger and cargo compartment, and no dedicated trunk (i.e. a station wagon body). Most mid-size and full-size SUVs have three rows of seats with a cargo area directly behind the last row of seats. Compact SUVs and mini SUVs may have five or fewer seats, especially if they are based on a car platform instead of a light truck.

A few of the most known design characteristics of SUVs are their high ground clearance, upright, boxy body, and high H-point. Lately, SUV bodies have become more aerodynamic to reduce wind resistance and improve fuel economy.

[edit] History

[edit] Origins

Early Sport utility vehicles were descendants from commercial and military vehicles such as the World War II Jeep^[3] and Land Rover.^[4] SUVs have been popular for many years with rural buyers due to their off-road capabilities.

The earliest examples of longer-wheelbase wagon-type SUVs were the GAZ-61 (1938), Willys Jeep Wagon (1948), Land Rover Series II 109 (1958), and the International Harvester Scout 80 (1961). These were followed by the more 'modern' Jeep Wagoneer (1963), International Harvester Scout II (1971), Ford Bronco (1966), Toyota Land Cruiser FJ-55 (1968), the Chevrolet Blazer / GMC Jimmy (1969), and the Land Rover Range Rover (1970).

The transportation curator at the Henry Ford Museum, Robert Casey, contends persuasively that the Cherokee was the first true sport utility vehicle in the modern understanding of the term.^[5] Marketed to urban families as a substitute for a traditional car, the Chrerokee had four wheel drive in a more manageable size (compared to the full-size Wagoneer), as well as a plush interior resembling a station wagon.^[5] With the introduction of more luxurious models and a much more powerful 4-liter engine, sales of the Cherokee zoomed even higher as the price of gasoline fell, and the term "sport utility vehicle" began to be used in the national press for the first time.^[5]

The increase in SUV sales was assisted by a legislative loophole. Created in the 1970s, the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards were established as minimums for passenger vehicles. Exceptions were granted business and farm vehicles. Car manufacturers utilized this loophole by selling SUVs as work vehicles.^[6] In the last 25 years, and even more in the last decade, the popularity of SUVs has increased among urban drivers. Consequently, more modern SUVs often come with luxury features and some crossover SUVs have adopted lower ride heights and use unibody construction to better accommodate on-road driving.

Author Keith Bradsher, has linked the rise of the SUV directly to American Motors' (AMC) lobbying the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for a waiver to the Clean Air Act: as a result, the EPA designated AMC's compact Cherokee a "light truck", which enabled the company to market it to everyday drivers.^[7] This in turn led to the SUV boom when other automakers marketed their own imitators in response to the Cherokee taking sales from their regular cars.^[8]

[edit] Popularity

SUVs became popular in the United States, Canada, and Australia in the 1990s and early 2000s for a variety of reasons, one of them being the low cost of gasoline.

US automakers could enjoy profit margins of $10,000 per SUV, while losing a few hundred dollars on a compact car. ^[9] For instance, the Ford Excursion could net the company $18,000, while they could not break even with the Ford Focus unless the buyer chose options.^[10][11] This led to Detroit's big three automakers focusing resources and design on SUVs over small cars (small cars were sold mainly to attract young buyers with inexpensive options and to increase their fleet average fuel economies to meet federal standards). The high wages of unionized workers in the United States and Canada (members of the UAW and CAW, respectively), compared to non-union workers such as that of Toyota, meant that it was unprofitable to have them build small cars.^[12] The General Motors Arlington, Texas factory where rear-wheel drive cars were built, such as the Chevrolet Caprice, Buick Roadmaster, and Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham was converted to truck and SUV production, putting an end to full-size family station wagon and overall terminating production of rear-wheel drive full-size cars. As a result of the shift in the Big Three's strategy, many long-running cars like the Ford Taurus, Buick Century, and Pontiac Grand Prix eventually fell behind their Japanese competition in features and image (relying more upon fleet sales instead of retail and/or heavy incentive discounts), some being discontinued. ^{[13] [14] [15] [16]}

Vehicle buyers were drawn to their large cabins, higher ride height, and perceived safety. Full-sized SUVs often offered features such as 3-row seating, so they effectively replaced full-size station wagons and minivans; wagons were seen as old-fashioned, while minivans generally had poor road handling. Additionally, full-size SUVs have greater towing capabilities than conventional cars, and can haul trailers, travel trailers (caravans) and boats. Increased ground clearance is useful in climates with heavy snow. The very low oil prices of the 1990s helped to keep down running costs. The SUV's utilitarian image may partially explain its popularity, not least among some women, who constitute more than half of all SUV drivers. For women in the United States, an SUV is one of the most popular vehicle choices. ^[17][18] Social scientists have drawn on popular folklore such as urban legends to illustrate how marketers have been able to capitalize on the feelings of strength and security offered by SUVs^[19]. Popular tales include narratives where mothers save the family from armed robbery and worse by quick thinking and taking the automobile off road.

In Australia, SUV sales were helped by the fact that SUVs attracted much lower import duty than cars, so that they cost less than similarly-equipped imported sedan. However this gap has been narrowed, as the import duty on cars has now been lowered to 10%, compared with 5% for SUVs.

Due to high oil prices and a declining economy since the mid-2000s, sales of SUVs and other light trucks have fallen. In June 2008, General Motors announced plans to close four plants manufacturing trucks and SUVs, including the Oshawa Truck Assembly.^[12] The company cited decreased sales of large vehicles in the wake of rising fuel prices.^[20] The business model of focusing on SUVs and light trucks, at the expense of more fuel-efficient compact and midsized cars, is blamed for declining sales and profits among Detroit's Big Three automakers since the mid-late 2000s. The Big Three were unable to adapt as quickly as their Japanese rivals to produce small cars to meet growing demand. This was due to inflexible manufacturing facilities, and the high wages of unionized workers in the United States and Canada (members of the UAW and CAW, respectively) which make it unprofitable to build small cars.^[12][21][22]

[edit] Use in remote areas

SUVs are often used in places such as the Australian Outback, Africa, the Middle East, Alaska, Northern Canada, the Western United States, Iceland, South America, and most of Asia that have limited paved roads and require the vehicle to have all-terrain handling, increased range, and storage capacity. The low availability of spare parts and the need to carry out repairs quickly allow model vehicles with the bare minimum of electric and hydraulic systems to predominate. Examples include the basic versions of the Land Rover, Jeep Wrangler, and Toyota Land Cruiser. SUVs intended for use in urbanised areas have traditionally been developed from their more rugged all-terrain counterparts. For example the Hummer H1 was derived from the HMMWV, originally developed for the Military of the United States.

As many SUV owners never actually exploit the off-road capabilities of their vehicle, newer SUVs (including crossovers) now have lower ground clearance and suspension designed primarily for paved roads.^[23]

Some SUVs are also used by families with children to have more room than sedans and by families living in areas where gravel roads in summer and winter snow and ice require 4-wheel drive.

[edit] Use in recreation and motorsport

SUVs are also used to explore places otherwise unreachable by other vehicles. In Australia, China, Europe, South Africa, South America and the United States at least, 4WD clubs have been formed for this purpose. Modified SUVs also take part in races, including the Paris-Dakar Rally and the Australian Outback.

[edit] Luxury SUV

Numerous luxury vehicles in the form of SUVs and pickup trucks are being produced. This is principally a marketing term to sell fancier vehicles that may have higher performance, comfort, technology, or brand image. The term lacks both measurability and verifiability and it is applied to a broad range of SUV sizes and types.

Nevertheless, the marketing category was created in 1966 with Kaiser Jeep's luxurious Super Wagoneer.^[24][25] This was the first SUV to offer a V8 engine, automatic transmission, and luxury car trim and equipment in a serious off-road model. It came with bucket seating, air conditioning, sun roof, and even a vinyl roof. Land Rover followed suit in 1970 by releasing the Range Rover and the more popular Freelander in Britain. The trend continued with other competitors adding comfort appointments to their mostly rudimentary and truck-based models.

The SUV market expanded, and the "luxury" models in particular, during the late 1990s due to their higher profit margins than from building ordinary automobiles.^[26][27] Notably, for some automakers, these were the first SUV models they produced. Some of these models are not traditional light-truck based SUVs because they are classified as crossovers.

[edit] Other names

In countries such as the United Kingdom, where the U.S. distinction between cars and "light trucks" is not used, they are classified as cars although "car" is generically used to refer to almost all consumer motor vehicles regardless. Popular names in general use include "Land Rover" and "Jeep" that are used to describe the vehicle class, and not just a single manufacturer's product. This practice was actively discouraged by every owner of the Jeep trademark, but this terminology is still in widespread use - even in Germany for example - due to the pioneering and defining influence of these first products.

The term "Chelsea Tractor" came to prominence in the United Kingdom around 2004 to describe such vehicles when used in urban areas (such as Chelsea, London, for which the term was coined) where their four-wheel drive capabilities are not required.^[28] "Yank tank" is another term is used by evironmentalists and detractors of American-produced sport utility vehicles in the United Kingdom. Both these terms are generally used in a disparaging manner. The term "4X4" (four-by-four) is also common even for vehicles not used in urban areas, "AWD" is not common in the UK.

In Australia and New Zealand the term 'SUV' is not widely used and carries a negative connotation of very large, American vehicles which are not sold in Australia^{[citation needed]}. Passenger class vehicles designed for offroad use are known as 'four wheel drives', or '4WDs', or '4X4s'. Some manufacturers do refer to their products as SUVs, but others invent names such as XUV ^[29] or Action Utility Vehicles (AUVs)^[30]. The term 'AWD', or All Wheel Drive is used for any vehicle that drives all four wheels but is not designed for any offroad use. The crossover is a marketing term to indicate a vehicle is both 4WD and roadcar, but in reality, crossovers are designed for the road.

The Australian "utility" or "ute" (an abbreviation of "coupe utility", a vehicle type created in Australia in 1934) traditionally refers to a car-based commercial vehicle with an open load area at the rear. Utes can be 2WD or 4WD, and many are available in both formats. The term is also widely used in New Zealand. These vehicles are known in South Africa as bakkies, and elsewhere as pickups.

[edit] See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Sport utility vehicle

• Automotive market
• Car classification
• Compact SUV
• Criticism of sport utility vehicles
• Crossover SUV
• Esuvee
• Four-wheel drive
• List of sport utility vehicles
• Mini SUV
• Off-road vehicle
• RV
• Station wagon

[edit] References

Inline

General

• Gladwell, M. (2004, January 12). Big and bad. The New Yorker, LXXIX, 28-30. Retrieved on 2008-05-12.

[edit] Additional reading

• Keith Bradsher. High and Mighty: SUVs--The World's Most Dangerous Vehicles and How They Got That Way. Published by PublicAffairs. ISBN 1-58648-203-3
• Josh Lauer. "Driven to Extremes: Fear of Crime and the Rise of the Sport Utility Vehicle in the United States," Crime, Media, Culture, vol. 1, no. 2 (2005), OCLC 201726443 pp. 149–168.
• Adam Penenberg. Tragic Indifference: One Man's Battle with the Auto Industry over the Dangers of SUVs. Published by HarperBusiness. ISBN 0-06-009058-8

[edit] External links

• SUVs actually illegal on many residential roads
• SUVs and oil dependency
• The psychology of SUV purchasing. Includes a comparison of vehicles and their 'deaths inside vehicle' and 'deaths caused/outside of vehicle' rates.
• SUVs: The hidden costs. You think the cost of gasoline is bad? Wait until you calculate the cost of your ute's depreciation.