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A sport utility vehicle, or '''SUV''', is a Passenger Vehicle which combines the Towing Capacity of a Pickup Truck with the passenger-carrying space of a Minivan or Station Wagon together with on or off road ability. Most SUVs are designed with a roughly square Cross-section , an engine compartment, a combined passenger and cargo compartment, and no dedicated trunk. Most mid-size and full-size SUVs have three rows of seats with a cargo area directly behind the last row of seats. CompactSUV s and Mini SUV s, such as the Toyota RAV4 and Suzuki Vitara , may have five or fewer seats. 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 (see Mazda Tribute , for example). Conversely, not all 4WD passenger vehicles are SUVs (see, for example, Subaru Impreza ). More recently, manufacturers have responded to buyers' complaints that SUVs "drive like trucks" and demands for "carlike ride" with a new type of SUV. A new category, the Crossover SUV uses Car design and components for lighter weight and better Fuel Efficiency , but is no longer designed or recommended by the manufacturer for off-road usage or towing. ETYMOLOGY Other names Outside of North America and India , these vehicles are known simply as " Four-wheel-drive s", often abbreviated to "4WD" or "4x4". In countries such as the UK , where the U.S. distinction between cars and "light trucks" is not used, they are classified as cars. In Australia , parts of the automotive industry and press are promoting the term "SUV" in place of " Four-wheel Drive " in an attempt to disassociate this type of vehicle from its increasingly negative public image; despite this, the term "four wheel drive" is still widely used. The motor industry in that country uses the term "AWD" for vehicles that are driven by all four wheels, but not designed for harsh off-road conditions, while the motoring press prefers the term "soft roader" for this type of vehicle. The Australian "utility" or "ute" (an abbreviation of "coupe Utility" , a body style created in Australia in 1934) traditionally refers to a car-based commercial vehicle with an integral, "styled", open load area at the rear. However, it now also applies to dedicated commercial vehicles with separate tray type ("table top") load areas, such as the Toyota Hilux, including 4wd versions. For decades, SUVs were often referred to generically as "jeeps." This practice was actively discouraged by every owner of the Jeep trademark, and this terminology is now almost entirely out of use. Slang
They are also called UAV, for Urban Assault Vehicle. http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=urban+assault+vehicle DESIGN CHARACTERISTICS Although designs vary, the SUV are stereotypically medium sized non-commercial passenger vehicles constructed using a Body-on-frame chassis similar to that found on Crew Cab or Light Truck . They can be either Gas or Diesel , and often the engines especially in American SUV's are that of the same engine line or even the same engine as in the equivalent pickup truck.Consumer Search {Link without Title} SUV-Review A few of the most known design characteristics of SUV's are their high ground clearance and upright, boxy body. However, since this creates a lot of Drag , their bodies have been more aerodynamic over the years to improve fuel economy. HISTORY Origins Sport utility vehicles were originally descended from commercial and , Land Rover , Jeep Wagoneer and the Ford Bronco were early SUV examples, followed by the Chevrolet Blazer and the GMC Jimmy . International Harvester also sold SUVs, notably the three-door Scout and the five-door Travelall . In the last 25 years, and even more in the last decade, SUVs have become popular with urban buyers. Consequently, more modern SUVs often come with Luxury features and some Crossover SUV s, such as the Infiniti FX-45 , Toyota RAV4 , Mitsubishi Outlander (2007 onward), and BMW X3 , have adopted lower ride heights and utilize unibody construction to better accommodate on-road driving. Popularity SUVs became popular in the United States, Canada, and Australia in the 1990s and early 2000s for a variety of reasons. Vehicle buyers were drawn to their large cabins, higher Ride Height , and perceived Safety . Additionally, some full-size SUVs have far greater towing capacities than conventional cars, allowing owners to tow Travel Trailers (caravans) , Trailers , and Boat s with relative ease.All this coincided with very low oil prices of the 1990s which made the running costs of SUVs affordable to the vast majority of North Americans who unlike Europeans pay no or very low fuel taxes. Some of the SUV's popularity can be attributed to it "utilitarian" image, which could explain the large growth in SUV popularity and among some women. Women constitute more than half of SUV drivers, and SUVs are one of the most popular vehicle choice of women in the United States. A common relation of this is in the term " Soccer Mom " In Australia, a unique situation resulted in the growth in popularity of SUVs. There, SUVs have a much lower Import Duty than cars. This means a typical SUV has a price advantage over a similarly-equipped, imported sedan. However, in recent years, the import duty has been lowered for cars as well, and is currently at 10% (compared with 5% for SUVs). This increase in popularity has also seen a corresponding increase in road rage incidents, as many people who drive SUVs think they own the road and do not respect other road users or road rules. In the mid 2000s, however, their popularity has waned, due to higher fuel prices, rollover accident fatalities and higher relative pollution. Current model SUVs (crossovers) take into account that most SUV owners never go Offroad . As such, some SUVs now have Lower Ground Clearance and suspension designed primarily for paved road usage."The Unstoppable SUV," Keith Naughton. Newsweek, July 2, 2001 However with the advent and popularization of air suspension, many SUVs such as the Touareg , and Land Rover's Range Rover have the benefits of a low suspension while on road with the ability to raise it to go offroad where a car or other vehicle might not be able to. In addition increased ground clearance is useful in climates with heavy snow. In addition, full-sized SUVs such as the Chevrolet Suburban and Ford Expedition have replaced old-fashioned full-size Station Wagon s and bear similar features such as 3-row seating. USE IN REMOTE AREAS SUVs are often used in places such as the Australian Outback , Africa , the Middle East , Alaska , Northern Canada , South America and most of Asia , which 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. Typical examples are the Land Rover and the 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 is derived from the HMMWV , originally developed for the US Armed Forces. USE IN RECREATION AND MOTORSPORT SUVs are also used to explore off-road places otherwise unreachable by other vehicles. In Australia, China , Europe , South Africa , South America and the United States at least, many 4WD clubs have been formed for this purpose. Modified SUVs also take part in races, most famously in the Paris-Dakar Rally, and the Australian Outback . With the increasing urbanisation of the world, SUVs are also used by those seeking unmodified landscapes and isolation, especially in nations with large wilderness areas lacking extensive road networks. Since most roads are meant to directly connect locations, many natural features of interest are inaccessible or not visible to most vehicles. The ability to travel without having to use roads is part of the appeal of SUV ownership due to a sense of independence this invokes in many people. SUVs also allow drivers to connect on an aesthetic level with the physical environment by allowing owners to go off road, SUVs promote a greater value being applied to wilderness areas, an attachment difficult to gain through reading or simply seeing things on television. SUV clubs often promote this ideal and a commercial manifestation of this can be seen in the number of tourism operators dependent on SUVs for their activities, Australia being a strong example . LUXURY SUV See Also: Luxury SUV Many luxurious SUVs and pickup trucks have been introduced lately. The category was created in 1966 with Kaiser Jeep 's luxurious Super Wagoneer that was first to offer a V8 engine, automatic transmission, and luxury car trim and equipment in a serious off-road model. The trend continued through the segment leading Wagoneer Limited models under American Motors (AMC) and then rapidly expanded in the 1990s to include the Cadillac Escalade , Lincoln Navigator , and many others. CRITICISM See Also: Criticism of sport utility vehicles SUV next to a Toyota Camry ]] SUVs have been criticized for many reasons, including their safety, marketing practices, fuel economy, pollution record and size. SEE ALSO
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