What was the first car classified as an SUV?
Sport utility vehicle
According to Robert Casey, the transportation curator at the Henry Ford Museum, the 1984 Jeep Cherokee (XJ) was the first true sport utility vehicle in the modern understanding of the term, although Jeep already used the term literally in their 1974 brochures, for the original SJ Cherokee. Developed under the leadership of AMC's François Castaing and marketed to urban families as a substitute for a traditional car (and especially station wagons, which were still fairly popular at the time), the Cherokee 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. With the introduction of more luxurious models and a much more powerful 4-liter engine, sales of the Cherokee increased 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. "The advent and immediate success of AMC/Jeep's compact four-door Cherokee turned the truck industry upside down."
Chevrolet Europe
Developed from the 2004, Chevrolet S3X concept car debuted at the 2004 Paris Motor Show, the Captiva is a crossover SUV developed in South Korea by GM Daewoo. In South Korea the car is referred to as the Daewoo Winstorm. Available in 5- and 7-seater iterations, "What Car" refers to the roominess and practicality of the cabin as a particularly strong aspect of the car. The equipment is also rated highly with base models being equipped with air conditioning, MP3 ready CD stereo, alloy wheels and a separately opening tailgate window.
Voiturette
French maker Renault's first car was simply called Voiturette, instead of the common usage then (it would have been called Renault 1¾ CV). The 1900 model (Voiturette C) was considered the first ever sedan (a car with roof).
Luxury vehicle
Another precursor to the luxury SUV is the Range Rover, which was released in 1970. It was the first road-going vehicle to have a permanent four-wheel drive system, split tailgate, clamshell bonnet and continuous waistline. The Range Rover had long-travel coil spring suspension and an aluminium V8 engine. Development of the Range Rover began in 1951.
Toyota Sequoia
Introduced in 2000 and manufactured at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indiana in Princeton, Indiana, the Sequoia is the first vehicle from a Japanese marque in the popular mainstream full-sized SUV class in North America, and initial planning done by first-generation Sequoia chief engineer Kaoru Hosegawa aimed the Sequoia directly at the Ford Expedition, also competing with the Chevrolet Tahoe and the later Nissan Armada.
Crossover (automobile)
Introduced in 1979, the AMC Eagle is often identified as the first crossover SUV, prior to the terms SUV or crossover being used. The mass-market Eagle model line was based on a unibody passenger car platform, with fully automatic four-wheel drive and a raised ride-height.
Compact car
One of the first compact cars that met those requirements was the Toyota Publica with an air cooled two cylinder opposed engine, the Datsun 110 series, and the Mitsubishi 500. The Publica and the Mitsubishi 500 were essentially "kei cars" with engines larger than regulations permitted at the time, while the Datsun was an all-new vehicle. These vehicles were followed by the Hino Contessa in 1961, the Isuzu Bellett, Daihatsu Compagno and Mazda Familia in 1963, the Mitsubishi Colt in 1965, and the Nissan Sunny, Subaru 1000, and Toyota Corolla in 1966. Honda introduced their first four-door sedan in 1969, called the Honda 1300. In North America, these cars were classified as subcompact cars.
Sport utility vehicle
The Russian , produced in small numbers from 1940, combined a 4-door closed steel sedan body with an off-roader's chassis and drive-train but had no rear hatch, tailgate, or doors, and was only for Red Army officers. The Pobeda M-72 (GAZ-M20/1955) – which Russian references credit as possibly being the first SUV with a unitary body rather than body-on-frame construction.
The Three Musketeers (Studebaker engineers)
The 1924 Chrysler Six was said to be the first modern automobile. Automobile historian Mark Howell remarks that this car is second only to Ford's Model T Ford for its impact on the automobile industry. He claims this car is the dividing line between the old style car and the "modern" automobile. Mr. Chrysler's first luxury car was priced at an affordable $1,565.
Cadillac Escalade
The Cadillac Escalade is a full-size luxury SUV engineered and manufactured by Cadillac. It was Cadillac's first major entry into the SUV market, and is called an SUV even though it meets all the specifications to be considered a truck. The Escalade was introduced for the 1999 model year in response to competition from the Mercedes-Benz GL-Class and Lexus LX and to Ford's 1998 release of the Lincoln Navigator. The Escalade project went into production only ten months after it was approved. The Escalade is built in Arlington, Texas. The word "escalade" refers to a siege warfare tactic of scaling defensive walls or ramparts with the aid of ladders or siege towers.
Subaru 1000
The Subaru 1000 was the first front wheel drive Subaru produced by Fuji Heavy Industries that was in the Japanese government "compact car" classification starting in 1966. Previous Subaru models such as the Subaru 360 and the Sambar had been rear-engined, rear wheel drive kei cars.
GMT K2XX
The first GMT K2XX vehicles produced were the light-duty 2014 model year Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra full-size pickups, with Silao producing the crew cabs first, followed afterwards by Fort Wayne assembling the light and HD regular size and double cab versions. The 2015 Chevrolet Tahoe, Chevrolet Suburban, GMC Yukon, GMC Yukon XL, Cadillac Escalade, and Cadillac Escalade ESV full-size SUVs were the next vehicles to start production, followed by the 2015 Chevrolet Silverado HD and GMC Sierra HD.
Subaru
Upon Nissan's acquisition by Renault, its stake in FHI was sold to General Motors in 1999. Troy Clarke, of General Motors served as representative to Fuji Heavy Industries on their corporate board. During that time, Subaru introduced 
the Baja (2003), and the Tribeca (2005). 
The Subaru Forester was sold as a Chevrolet Forester in India in exchange for the Opel Zafira being sold as a Subaru Traviq in Japan. Also, the Chevrolet Borrego concept was presented in 2002, a crossover coupe/pickup truck being derived from the Japanese-market Legacy Turbo platform. During the brief General Motors period, a badge engineered Impreza was sold in the United States as the Saab 9-2X. An SUV (Subaru Tribeca / Saab 9-6X) was also planned but the Saab version did not proceed, and styling was recycled in the 2008 Tribeca refresh.
Toyota Highlander
Announced in April 2000 at the New York International Auto Show and arriving in late 2000 in Japan and January 2001 in North America, the Highlander became one of the first car-based mid-size SUV or mid-size crossovers. The Highlander is the crossover counterpart to the more rugged, truck-based midsize 4Runner and became Toyota's best-selling SUV before being surpassed by the smaller RAV4 in 2006. In Japan, the Kluger is exclusive to dealership network called "Toyota NETZ" as a larger alternative to the RAV4.
Lexus GX
The Lexus GX (Japanese: レクサス・GX, "Rekusasu GX") is a full-size luxury SUV sold in North American and Eurasian markets by Lexus, a luxury division of Toyota. The name GX stands for Grand Crossover. Lexus introduced the first generation, known as the GX 470 in 2002, and subsequently became the third SUV to enter the Lexus lineup. A five-speed automatic was always standard, as was a full-time four-wheel-drive system with low-range gearing. The 4.7-liter V8 engine in the GX 470 was the same as used on the larger LX 470. The firm next introduced the second generation model in 2009, badged GX 460 to reflect the switch to a 4.6-liter V8 engine. Lexus later released a lower displacement GX 400 in 2012 for the Chinese market, with a 4.0-liter V6 engine.
Acura
In 1990, five years after the debut of the Legend and Integra, Acura introduced the NSX, a midship V6 powered, rear-wheel-drive sports car. The NSX, an acronym for "New Sports eXperimental", was billed as the first Japanese car capable of competing with Ferrari and Porsche. This vehicle served as an "image car" for both the Honda and Acura brands, heralding the introduction of Honda's VTEC technology. The NSX was the world's first all-aluminum production car, and was also marketed and viewed by some as the "Everyday Supercar" thanks in part to its ease of use, quality and reliability, traits that were unheard of in the supercar segment at the time. With the release of the NSX, Acura introduced the "A-badge", a stylized pair of calipers—a tool used for exacting measurements to imply that Acura vehicles are built to precise and demanding standards.
Despite a strong start in market acceptance for the Acura brand, sales suffered in the mid-to-late 1990s. Some critics attributed this decline in part to less inspiring designs, which were re-branded Japanese-spec Hondas, such as the Acura Vigor in 1992. Additionally, during this time Acura switched to an alphanumeric nomenclature formula, dropping the Legend, Vigor and Integra titles, following the lead of the NSX sportscar. The 1996 3.5 RL, which replaced the popular Legend, and the Vigor became the 2.5 TL and 3.2 TL, and was regarded by many as the epitome of this problem, namely because the alphanumeric designations were more anonymous than the former Legend, Vigor and Integra titles, which had grown into their own cult followings.
Qingling Motors
In the fall of 1987, production of the Isuzu Pickup was added. Three years later it was updated to the next generation model. For almost ten years it was the best selling model of Isuzu's in the People's Republic of China. The first SUV, introduced in 1993, was the Isuzu Mu. As a pure sports model from 1997, the company offered in limited quantities the Isuzu Tiejingang which is the sister model to the Japanese Isuzu VehiCROSS. The model name means "Iron King". In 2003, the manufacturer freshened the model range with the Isuzu Jingjizhe and an optical hybrid of Isuzu TF and Isuzu Rodeo, and replaced the Mu. The Isuzu Duogongnengche is a local model, which is an updated version of the Isuzu MU-7 . Both models are exclusively reserved for the Chinese market.
Isuzu Astra Motor Indonesia
After nearly two years of construction, the new plant was opened in the summer of 1976. Isuzu Gemini was the entry-level models. In the commercial vehicle sector, it ranked the brand new model of Isuzu Elf and the Isuzu Forward, here ever since sold as the Isuzu Borneo. The first SUV was manufactured in 1980, Isuzu P'up, a sister model of the Japanese Isuzu Faster. The model soon became very popular and was especially successful as an export.
Sport utility vehicle
SUVs overtook lower medium segment cars to become the world's largest automotive segment in 2015, accounting for 22.9 percent of global "light vehicle" sales (for 2015), or 36.8% of the world's "passenger car" market (Q1–Q3, 2017). World-wide sales of SUVs grew from 5 million units in 2000 to 20 million in 2015 and are forecast to hit 42 million units by 2031. Becoming popular in the late-1990s and early & mid-2000s, SUV sales temporarily declined due to high oil prices and a declining economy, but by 2010, SUV sales around the world were growing again, in spite of gasoline prices. The market has overwhelmingly come to prefer 4/5-door models in favor of historically popular 2-door off-roaders.
Mini sport utility vehicle
Mini SUV, also called subcompact SUV or subcompact crossover, is a class of small sport utility vehicles with a length under and around . The term usually comprises any vehicle that is smaller than a compact SUV in North-American standardization, or any 4x4 with a supermini body in international standardization or based on a supermini (B-segment cars in Europe) platform.
BMW X5 (E53)
In contrast to the Range Rover models, the X5 was designed as a sporting road car: its off-road capabilities are significantly less than those of Land Rover. BMW reportedly worked hard to ensure it was referred to as an "SAV" (Sports Activity Vehicle) instead of an "SUV" (Sports Utility Vehicle).
Body-on-frame
Most small passenger vehicles switched to unibody construction by the end of the 1930s. The trend had started with cars like the Citroen Traction Avant (1934) and Opel Olympia (a General Motors design) introduced in 1935. Trucks, bus manufacturers and large low volume cars or those made in USA continued to use separate bodies on "conventional" frames. Body-on-frame remains the preferred construction method for heavy-duty commercial vehicles (especially those intended to carry or pull heavy loads, such as trucks and some sport utility vehicles (SUVs)) but as production volumes rise increasing numbers of SUVs and crossover SUVs are switching to unibody frames. Mass-market manufacturers Ford, General Motors and Chrysler are abandoning true body-on-frame SUVs, opting, when sales volume permits, for more efficient unibody construction. Toyota currently manufactures the most body-on-frame SUVs with the 4Runner, Sequoia, Land Cruiser, Lexus GX and LX followed by Nissan with the Patrol, Armada, and Infiniti QX56/80. The Ford Panther platform, which was discontinued in 2011, was the last series of traditional passenger cars to be built in this manner.
Roewe
On 9 June 2016, Alibaba officially unveiled the Roewe RX5, its first “internet car” in collaboration with SAIC. The RX5 is available for pre-order; it is priced upwards of RMB 148,800 ($22,300) with deliveries scheduled to start in August 2016. According to Roewe CEO Wang Jian, the new internet technology will allow the joint venture to quickly adapt its cars to become self-driving. Alongside the regular RX5, the plugin hybrid eRX5 and the full electric ERX5 with subtle styling differences were also revealed at the same time.
In September 2017, the production of Roewe's subcompact crossover RX3 has started. Developed by the SAIC UK Technical Centre, the third Roewe SUV model, Roewe RX3 is positioned right below the RX5 and will compete against B-segment crossovers such as the Buick Encore and Ford EcoSport. The Roewe RX3 also shares the underpinnings of the MG ZS SUV.
In November 2017, SAIC launched the replacement of the Roewe 550, the Roewe i6 sedan which shares the platform with the second generation MG 6 sedan. As for ei6, the hybrid version was also launched into the market at the same time.
Roewe i5 is a compact station wagon sharing the platform with the Buick Excelle GX wagon. The all-electric version called the Ei5 was first introduced and provides a range of 310km. The Ei5 made its debut at Auto Guangzhou 2017. Roewe will launch an entry-level Ei5 model with a range of 251 km.
Roewe launched the W5, its first SUV, at the 2011 Auto Shanghai motor show. The W5 is based on the SsangYong Kyron and is powered by the same 1.8 litre engine as used in the Roewe 550 and 750.
Acura ZDX
The Acura ZDX is a mid-size luxury crossover SUV developed by Honda for its upmarket brand Acura. The car was originally scheduled to be called the Acura MSX. The ZDX debuted at the 2009 New York International Auto Show on April 8, 2009. The vehicle was also the first to be completely designed at Acura's southern California design studio in Torrance.
Ford Expedition
Since 1997, the Lincoln division has marketed the Ford Expedition as the Lincoln Navigator, the first full-size SUV sold by a luxury auto brand in North America (the Expedition was never sold as a Mercury). The third Ford vehicle to use the Expedition nameplate, the full-size SUV follows a 1992 F-150 Eddie Bauer concept vehicle and a 1995 trim level package on the two-door Ford Explorer Sport.
Land Rover series
The Land Rover series I, II, and III (commonly referred to as "series" Land Rovers, to distinguish them from later models) are off-road vehicles produced by the British manufacturer Rover Company. The Land Rover was the first mass-produced civilian four-wheel drive car with doors on it. In 1992, Land Rover claimed that 70% of all the vehicles they had built were still in use.
Saturn Corporation
Saturn's first compact crossover SUV was introduced in 2001 for the 2002 model year as the VUE based on a globally used GM design. For 2002 for the 2003 model year, Saturn had introduced the ION as a replacement for the S-Series. In 2004 for the 2005 model year Saturn began selling the RELAY a minivan and the first Saturn based on similar models from other GM brands. That same year, the L-Series was discontinued. The Sky roadster was introduced in 2006 as a 2007 model. In 2006 for the 2007 model year, the AURA midsize sedan made its way to dealerships, alongside the Outlook, a larger CUV than the Vue, and was the last year the Ion was produced. The Ion was replaced by the European-built Astra in 2008. During the 2008 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), Saturn revealed its Flextreme concept vehicle, which was a rebadged Opel Flextreme.
Jaguar C-X17
The Jaguar C-X17 is a concept crossover SUV designed by Jaguar Land Rover and unveiled at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show. It is the first ever Jaguar crossover SUV.
History of plug-in hybrids
The Volvo V60 Plug-in Hybrid, the world's first diesel plug-in hybrid, was released in Sweden by late 2012. Deliveries in the rest of Europe started in 2013. Almost 8,000 units were sold in 2013.
Sales of the Honda Accord Plug-in Hybrid began in the U.S. in January 2013, and availability is limited to California and New York. The Accord PHEV was introduced in Japan in June 2013 and it is available only for leasing, primarily to corporations and government agencies. The Mitsubishi Outlander P-HEV was released in the Japanese market also in January 2013, becoming the first SUV plug-in hybrid in the market. The European version was released in Europe in October 2013. The introduction in the United States was delayed until 2015 due to problems in the initial production batch. Over 25,000 units have been sold through April 2014, with 13,498 units sold in Japan followed by the Netherlands with 10,951 units, where the Outlander P-HEV ranked for two months in-a-row, November and December 2013, as the top selling new car in the country. , the Outlander P-HEV is the top registered plug-in electric car in the Netherlands with 14,567 units.
Toyota Sequoia
Development of a full-size SUV alongside a T100 replacement began in the mid-1990s, with a design freeze in 1997 (styled by Toshihiko Shirasawa) and design patent filing of the production design on April 4, 1998 at the Japan Patent Office (JPO) under #1054583. After the introduction of the Toyota Tundra in 1999, speculation started that Toyota intended to compete in the full-size market with a Tundra-based SUV called the Highlander. However, the Highlander name was used on a midsize Camry-based crossover and the Tundra-based SUV was introduced on January 11, 2000 at the North American Auto Show as the Toyota Sequoia, with full production starting in September 2000 for the 2001 model year.
Subaru XT
By the time the XT was launched, Subaru had already produced vehicles with very different styling compared to other vehicles of the time period. The XT, first introduced in February 1985 in the United States (June 1985 in Japan), was a wedged-shaped departure from the 1970s-influenced curves of the previous models, aimed directly at the styles emerging in the 1980s. When introduced, the New York Times called it "the ultimate in jazzy design", in contrast to Subaru's older "cheap and ugly" offerings. The XT was the first Subaru to stray from earlier models that offered a practical application, in that the XT wasn't designed to carry loads or for commercial uses. The 2.7 L flat 6 sold in Japan was the first Subaru to exceed government engine displacement regulations due to the engine being over 2000 cc, and as such was regarded as a luxury vehicle. It also obligated an elevated annual road tax due to the engine's size.
Sport utility vehicle
The actual term ""Sport Utility Vehicle"" did not come into wide popular usage until the late 1980s — prior to then, such vehicles were marketed during their era as 4-wheel drives, station wagons, or other monikers. Although Merriam-Webster dictionary lists the first-known use as 1969, Crosley marketed a "Sport(s-) Utility" model as early as 1947, for the 1948 model year – a convertible based on a wagon. Ford first marketed a civilian off-roader as a "Sport Utility" in 1966: the two-door pickup version of the 1966 Ford Bronco. In 1974, Jeep used the exact wording "sport(s) utility vehicle" literally in their brochures description of the 1st generation Cherokee.
Lamborghini
At the 2012 Beijing Motor Show, Lamborghini unveiled the Urus SUV. This is the first SUV built by Lamborghini since the LM002.
BMW X5
The BMW X5 is a mid-size luxury SUV produced by BMW. The first generation of the X5, with the chassis code E53, made its debut in 1999. It was BMW's first SUV and it also featured all-wheel drive and was available with either manual or automatic transmission. In 2006, the second generation X5 was launched, known internally as the E70, featuring the torque-split capable xDrive all-wheel drive system mated to an automatic transmission, and in 2009 the X5 M performance variant was released as a 2010 model.
Compact sport utility vehicle
The compact XJ Cherokee shared its name from the full-size SJ model, it had no true pickup truck heritage, but came in both four and two-door versions that were extremely capable off-road. While the competing SUVs were adaptations of trucks, Jeep did not sell many pickup trucks so they designed a SUV first; starting with a four-door version and featuring a very strong, lightweight unibody construction like most passenger cars, as well as with a lightweight "link/coil" suspension design that was praised by the automotive press for its superior ride, performance, and handling. The original Jeep XJ combined a passenger car comfort with a rugged chassis for ease of driving in difficult conditions, and established the modern SUV market segment.
History of the automobile
Body styles have changed as well in the modern era. Three types, the hatchback, sedan, and sport utility vehicle, dominate today's market. All originally emphasised practicality, but have mutated into today's high-powered luxury crossover SUV, sports wagon[ and two-volume Large MPV. The rise of pickup trucks in the United States and SUVs worldwide has changed the face of motoring with these "trucks" coming to command more than half of the world automobile market. There was also the introduction of the MPV class (smaller non-commercial passenger minivans), among the first of which were the French Renault Espace and the Chrysler minivan versions in the United States
BYD S6
In December 2012, the China Automobile Technology Research Center published the C-NCAP crash-testing impact scores of BYD S6, awarding it the highest five-star safety rating for an SUV. This designation makes the S6 the first Chinese domestic SUV model with this rating. In C-NCAP tests, the BYD S6 out-performed other brands in body structure, design, and safety device validation.
Force One (sport utility vehicle)
The Force One was an SUV manufactured by Force Motors, the maker of Traveller minibuses and the Trax utility vehicles in India. The company entered the SUV segment for the first time.
Jaguar Cars
The F-Pace is a compact luxury crossover SUV - the first SUV from Jaguar. It was unveiled at the International Motor Show Germany in Frankfurt in September 2015.
The F-Type convertible was launched at the 2012 Paris Motor Show, following its display at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in June 2012, and is billed as a successor to the legendary E-Type. In fact, the Series III E-Type already had a successor, in the form of the XJS, which was in turn replaced by the XK8 and XKR. The F-Type nevertheless returns to the 2-seat plan that was lost with the introduction of the Series III E-Type, which was available only in a 2+2-seat configuration. It was developed following the positive reaction to Jaguar's C-X16 concept car at the 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show. Sales will begin in 2013 with three engine choices; two variants of the AJ126 V6 petrol engine and the AJ133 V8 petrol engine.
Sport utility vehicle
"The popularity of SUVs in the early 2000s has precipitated a rush of companies trying to capitalise, with a growing number of brands and new concept offerings like crossovers to appeal to a wider audience." "However, a combination of key social changes such as urbanisation, smaller households and an ageing population, in conjunction with increasing emissions regulations, have also boosted the fortunes of the small car segment."
"Euromonitor predicts that small cars will see a Global Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 2.9 percent between 2015 and 2031 but this is firmly secondary to the projected CAGR of 4.8 percent for SUVs." "[Global] sales of SUVs grew from 5 million units in 2000 to 20 million in 2015 and are forecast to hit 42 million units by 2031."
"(...) replacement demand [for cars] in developed markets will start to slow and global growth will be increasingly reliant on SUVs and emerging markets.Although designs vary, SUVs have historically been passenger vehicles with a separate body on a chassis taken from some kind of light truck, commercial vehicle, pick-up or off-road vehicle. SUVs are typically of a two-box design, with the engine compartment in front, and a combined reconfigurable passenger and cargo compartment behind it, instead of having a separate trunk. Early SUVs were frequently two-door open-body models with removable tops, like classic Jeeps, or large station wagon-like vehicles, like carryalls / suburbans or travelalls.
Nissan Pathfinder
The Infiniti QX4 is a mid-size luxury SUV introduced in September 1996 and based on the unibody Nissan Pathfinder. It was released following Acura's introduction of the SLX and Lexus's larger LX 450. The QX4 was Infiniti's first entry into the SUV market segment.
Executive car
The Humber Hawk (Mark III to VIA) was arguably one of the first executive cars and debuted in 1948; it was available with premium features such as two-tone and metallic paintwork, sunroof, as well as leather and wood trimmings. Humber's first unitary-construction Hawk (Series I to IVA) was announced in May 1957. It was longer and lower than the car it replaced and available with an automatic transmission for the first time. The similarly sized Humber Super Snipe and Imperial were marketed more towards the luxury car buyer.
Jaguar entered the market in 1955 with a car that is retrospectively known as the Mark 1 but was sold as the 2.4 and 3.4 Litre. The unitary construction Mark 1 evolved into the Mark 2 and was offered with a larger 3.8 litre engine. The Jaguar S-Type and Jaguar 420 were derived from this model. After the successful launch of the Jaguar XJ in 1968, Jaguar left the executive car market to concentrate on its luxury and sports cars and did not have another competitor until 1998 with the retro-styled S-Type. This was replaced by the avant-garde XF which is now in its second generation.
Car classification
Examples of crossover SUVs:Also known as "people carriers", this class of cars combines a high-roof, five-door one- or two-box hatchback body configuration with a compact, mid-size or large car platform, engine and mechanicals; car-like handling and fuel economy; unibody construction; front-wheel or all-wheel drive and greater height than sedan or station wagon counterparts. The design offers higher h-point seating, two or three rows of seating, easy passenger and cargo access with sliding wide-opening rear doors and large rear hatch, and a re-configurable interior volume with seats that recline, slide, tumble, fold flat or allow easy removal—enabling users to reprioritize passenger and cargo volumes.
Acura MDX
The MDX was the first crossover SUV to have third-row seating, and shares a platform with the Honda Pilot. The Pilot seats eight, while the MDX seats seven, with two seating positions in the third row. The MDX was introduced as a 2001 model, replacing the slow-selling U.S.-only body-on-frame SLX, based on the Isuzu Trooper. In Japan, it filled a gap when the Honda Horizon (also based on the Trooper) was discontinued in 1999. In 2003, the Honda MDX went on sale in Japan and Australia. The MDX has been the most expensive crossover in Acura's lineup, except for the 2009-13 model years when Acura added a crossover to slot above the MDX, called the ZDX.
Lynk &amp; Co 02
Lynk & Co 01 is the first model manufactured by Lynk & Co. It is a genuine compact SUV. As Lynk & Co 01 succeeded, Lynk & Co started its market segmentation in advance. Lynk & Co 02 set Mazda CX-4 and Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class as its opponent. The deputy general manager of Lynk & Co indicated that Lynk & Co 02 would become the smaller and sportier SUV model.
Honda CR-V
The Australian higher specification model was called the "Sport". It was added at the time of the first facelift and included body-colored bumpers, mirrors, door handles, and hard rear spare wheel cover. It also included alloy wheels, roof rails, and a large glass sunroof. The CR-V became the country's best-selling SUV in 2000, outselling the Toyota Landcruiser for the first time.
Energy Tax Act
The Gas Guzzler Tax led to the successive downsizing of most major American passenger autos, and the combination of the tax and late-'70s/early-'80s economic woes effectively killed the American full-size car as it had been known up to that point. Coincidentally, it only took one product cycle before the first modern SUVs were introduced, the Cherokee XJ and the S-10 Blazer (in 1984). By the time Ford introduced the Explorer, the SUV had become the common man's luxury vehicle and Ford capitalized on this using extensive cross-marketing, most notably with Northwest clothier Eddie Bauer.
Sport utility vehicle
Sales of SUVs and other light trucks fell in the mid-2000s because of high oil prices and declining economy. In 2008, General Motors announced plans to close four truck and SUV plants, including the Oshawa Truck Assembly. The company cited decreased sales of large vehicles in the wake of rising fuel prices. 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 slower to adapt than their Japanese rivals in producing small cars to meet growing demand due to inflexible manufacturing facilities, which made it unprofitable to build small cars. However, starting in 2010, SUV and light truck sales have started an upward trend due to lower gasoline prices and a revival of the North American economy. In 2013, General Motors saw its sales for its large SUVs increased by 74%, making them the largest producer of SUVs in the United States. However, the "small and compact SUVs, when compared with other vehicles in the light truck segment, has made this vehicle segment the third highest selling vehicle segment in the automotive market in 2013." With the redesigned GM and Ford large SUV's being introduced in 2014 (for the 2015 model year), it has seen a slight resurgence among consumers due to better fuel economy and new engines, along with updated and newer features. This resurgence in the popularity of this variation on SUV's is also seen with brands such as Audi, Jeep and Ford creating the compact SUVs in 2018 . Positive reception for compact SUV's are further confirmed when noting that the Volvo XC40, another luxury compact SUV, won European Car of the Year 2018 .
Off-road vehicle
From the 1960s and onward, more comfortable vehicles were produced. For several years they were popular with rural buyers due to their off-road and load-lugging capabilities. The U.S. Jeep Wagoneer and the Ford Bronco, the British Range Rover, and the station wagon-bodied Japanese Toyota Land Cruiser, Nissan Patrol and Suzuki Lj's series were all essentially just station wagon bodies on light truck frames with four-wheel-drive drivetrains. Later, during the 1990s, manufacturers started to add even more luxuries to bring those off-road vehicles on par with regular cars. This eventually evolved into what we call the SUV today. It also evolved into the newer crossover vehicle, where utility and off-road capability was sacrificed for better on-road handling and luxury.
DS 7 Crossback
The DS 7 Crossback is a compact luxury crossover SUV from the French automaker DS Automobiles. The vehicle was presented for the first time on the 28th February 2017, and its public premiere at the 87th Geneva Motor Show in March 2017. The SUV, like the Peugeot 5008 II and the Citroën C5 Aircross, is based on the EMP2 platform of Groupe PSA. Though not the first SUV for and from the brand (see DS 6), it is the first for Europe.
Cadillac de Ville series
The Cadillac DeVille was originally a trim level and later a separate model produced by Cadillac. The first car to bear the name was the 1949 Coupe de Ville, a pillarless two-door hardtop body style with a prestige trim level above that of the Series 62 luxury coupe. The last model to be formally known as a DeVille was the 2005 Cadillac DeVille, a full-size sedan, the largest car in the Cadillac model range at the time. The next year, the DeVille was officially renamed DTS.
Infiniti QX80
The Infiniti QX56 (JA60) was a full-size sport utility vehicle (SUV) sold under the Nissan-owned Infiniti luxury brand. It was based on the Nissan Armada full-size SUV, and shared the F-Alpha platform with the Nissan Titan pickup truck. The QX56 was unique to the United States, Canada, Russia, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar, UAE, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. It was also the first Infiniti built in the United States. Development on the Infiniti JA60 began in early 2000 alongside the Nissan WA60. A final design by Masato Takahashi was reached in early 2001, with an August 2001 design freeze for early 2004 start of production.
Jeep Wagoneer (SJ)
The Jeep Wagoneer is the first luxury 4x4, sold and produced for Jeep by several automakers from 1962 to 1991. Marketed as a station wagon, the design became known as "sport utility vehicle" (SUV) when Jeep first used the term for the 1974 Cherokee version, the 4WD Wagoneer stayed in production for 29 model-years (1963–1991) with almost unchanged body-structure, making it the third longest-produced single generation car in U.S. automotive history.
Sport utility vehicle
The earliest examples of longer-wheelbase, civilian, wagon-type SUVs (using the term retrospectively) were truck-framed station wagons and carry-alls, to which four-wheel drive was added – first of all the 1946 Willys Jeep Station Wagon, launched a year "before" its 1947 Jeep Truck sibling. Though Willys sold it as a "Jeep", it wasn't offered with four-wheel drive until 1949. The all-steel GMC and Chevrolet Suburban Carryall that dated back to 1935, the 1953 International Harvester Travelall, and the 1954 Dodge (Power) Town Wagon were all large station-wagon bodied versions of light trucks that were made available with drive in 1956/1957. GMC and Chevy initially only offered the 4x4 option in the form of a dealer-installed NAPCO Power-Pak aftermarket conversion kit — factory four-wheel drive only arrived in 1960. In Britain, also from 1956, the Land Rover Series I line was expanded with a 107-inch long-wheelbase version, including a 10-seat station wagon which used very simple metal panels and bolt-together construction, intended to be used both as commercial vehicles and people-carriers.
Mercedes-Benz M-Class
Mercedes-Benz launched the first generation W163 series M-Class on 19 February 1997, in the United States for the 1998 model year, with sales beginning that September. It is a mid-sized body-on-frame SUV with seating for five, or seven with an optional third-row seat. The M-Class was the first luxury SUV to feature electronic stability control, a system designed to detect loss of control and instantaneously intervene with selective braking to bring the vehicle back on its intended course. Furthermore, the M-Class boasted front- and side-impact airbags with advanced occupant detection for the front passenger seat, which helped earn the W163 the highest marks in insurance industry crash tests.
Sport utility vehicle
In Europe, the term SUV has a similar meaning, but being newer than in the U.S. it only applies to the newer street oriented one, whereas "Jeep", "Land Rover" or 4x4 are used for the off-roader oriented ones. The German automaker BMW utilizes the term SAV to denote "Sport Activity Vehicles." Not all SUVs have four-wheel drive capabilities, and not all four-wheel-drive passenger vehicles are SUVs. Although some SUVs have off-road capabilities, they often play only a secondary role, and SUVs often do not have the ability to switch among two-wheel and four-wheel-drive high gearing and four-wheel-drive low gearing. While automakers tout an SUV's off-road prowess with advertising and naming, the daily use of SUVs is largely on paved roads.
Sedan (automobile)
Sedan's first recorded use as a name for an automobile body was in 1912. The name comes from a 17th century development of a litter, the sedan chair, a one-person enclosed box with windows carried by porters.
Sport utility vehicle
In Australia and New Zealand, the term "SUV" is not widely used, except by motoring organizations, the press, and industry bodies. Passenger class vehicles designed for off-road use are known as "four-wheel drives", "4WDs", or "4×4s". Some manufacturers do refer to their products as SUVs, but others invented names such as XUV, (HSV Avalanche XUV or GMC Envoy XUV) or action utility vehicles (AUVs). The term "AWD", or all-wheel drive, is used for any vehicle which drives on all four wheels, but may not be designed for off-road use. "Crossover" is a marketing term for a vehicle that is both four-wheel-drive and primarily a road car.
Volvo XC90
In January 2001, Volvo débuted its "Adventure Concept Car" at the North American International Auto Show, to gauge reaction to the styling and features of its upcoming SUV. In November 2001, Volvo released a teaser image showing the frontal styling of the production version, named the XC90. Notable as Volvo's first SUV model, the styling of the XC90 recalled the concept. In January 2002, the full XC90 unveiling occurred, at the North American International Auto Show. Production began in August 2002, after Volvo's traditional mid-year shutdown, with the first XC90s coming out of the Torslanda factory in Sweden.
Dodge Durango
The Aspen was the first truck-based SUV commercialized under the Chrysler brand, although the PT Cruiser was the first truck-based Chrysler brand vehicle as classified under Corporate Average Fuel Economy's (CAFE) regulation. With this introduction, as of 2007, all American automobile brands had an SUV in their range. The truck was unveiled at the 2005 North American International Auto Show. The Aspen came equipped with three rows of seating for eight passengers and available all-wheel drive. It was available in only one trim, Limited.
List of automobiles with negative reviews
The SsangYong Rodius was a crossover between minivan and SUV and was SsangYong's first step into the minivan segment. It was praised for its roomy interior and practicability, but was highly ridiculed for its unconventional styling and is often considered among the ugliest cars ever built. It was voted the ugliest car in the UK in 2005, with an article on Jalopnik calling it an "R-Class with Down's Syndrome". The styling was also notably condemned by Top Gear who said that "The Rodius is so ugly that almost everyone knows what it is; they don't know its name, but they recognise it as the car "Top Gear" called the ugliest car in production today." "Top Gear Magazine" also ranked it 9th on its list of "The 13 worst cars of the last 20 years". "The Telegraph" ranked it 1st in its list of the ""10 worst cars ever sold in Britain"", commenting: "'Looks like a melted hearse,' is the best description of the visually challenging SsangYong Rodius we've ever heard. [...] If it were human, not even its mother could love it."
Airbag
In 1988, Chrysler was the first United States company to install standard driver's side air bags. They came in six lines of its high volume production passenger cars. The following year, Chrysler became the first United States auto manufacturer to install driver-side air bags in all its domestic-built automobiles. All versions of the Chrysler minivans came with airbags starting January 1991. In 1992, the Jeep Grand Cherokee became the first SUV with airbags in the market place. Driver and passenger air bags became standard equipment in all Dodge Intrepid, Eagle Vision, and Chrysler Concorde sedans ahead of any regulations. Early 1993 saw the 4-millionth air bag-equipped Chrysler vehicle roll off the assembly line. In October 1993, the Dodge Ram became the first pickup truck with airbags.
MG Motor
MG unveiled the MG Icon concept car at the Beijing Auto Show in 2012.
It is the first SUV concept car from the company and was created by the MG global design team headed by British director Anthony Williams-Kenny. The MG Icon takes inspiration from some of the legendary brand’s most famous sports cars including the MGA and MGB GT.
Sport utility vehicle
Although originally, SUVs were of separate body and chassis construction, virtually without exception, whether they evolved from short, highly off-road focused designs such as original Jeeps / Land Rovers and the like, or from larger heavy-duty people haulers (carryalls, suburbans, travelalls etc.), gradually more and more automakers introduced off-road vehicles and SUVs with an integrated, unitary body or monocoque vehicle frame design.
Dodge Nitro
The Nitro became Dodge's first compact SUV model since the Raider was discontinued in 1990. It also became the first modern Dodge branded automobile to be sold in Europe since its introduction in early 2007. In the U.S., the Nitro went into production in August 2006 and went on sale in September of the same year as a 2007 model. All Nitros were available with rear-wheel drive, and part-time four-wheel drive was available as an option. The Nitro was Dodge's SUV until the 2009 model year, when the larger, car-based Dodge Journey crossover SUV priced below it, arrived in showrooms. Compared to its shared platform with the Jeep Liberty, the Nitro is longer, lower, and wider. The extra length is split between the rear seat and the cargo area.
Volvo XC40
A concept car called Concept 40.1 was originally designed by Thomas Ingenlath and unveiled in 2016. This prototype in engineering was a historic event in Volvo car history as it was the first five-door compact SUV released by Volvo.
Richard A. Teague
Teague was responsible for the Jeep Cherokee (XJ) that was launched in the United States in 1983. He described the practical and utilitarian appearance of the new SUV: "We didn't want to lose the flavor of the older Jeeps ... We wanted it to look like something you'd want to take into the rough country." The design was unchanged and remained in production through 2001 and in China to 2005. The Cherokee XJ was described by one automotive magazine in 2009 as "possibly the best SUV shape of all time", and was the last Teague design to go into production.
Rambler Rebel
Introduced as a stand-alone model in one body style, the 1957 Rambler Rebel is credited for being the first factory-produced intermediate-sized high-performance car. This later became known as the muscle car market segment. It was also to be among the earliest production cars equipped with electronic fuel injection.
Lexus LX
Rapidly developed in the mid-1990s as a result of threatening US trade sanctions on Japanese luxury cars, the LX 450 started production in November 1995 and was released to the US in January 1996 as a 1996 model; Canada received the LX from 1997. The LX 450 was Lexus's first SUV and was almost entirely based on the sixth generation Toyota Land Cruiser (J80). Differences lay in a restyled, more luxurious interior and softer suspension settings. The first LX 450 rolled off the production line in December 1995.
Acura
The ZDX was the first Acura designed in Acura's design studio located at Torrance in Southern California. The ZDX was designed by Michelle Christensen and based on the Acura MDX using that vehicles 3.7 litre V6 engine (300 bhp) and SH-AWD system. It is also the first Acura to be completely built in North America. The production model of the ZDX made its debut in the Orange County Auto Show in Southern California on October 15, 2009. The concept behind the ZDX is that it is a "four door coupe," and the design emphasis of the body of the car is like a "pulled back slingshot." Another prominent design aspect of the ZDX is the wide rear shoulders above the rear wheels. The ZDX went on sale in December 2009.
Acura initially had plans for the third generation of RL to be a rear wheel drive V8 sedan for its flagship, but shelved the plans in the wake of the 2008 economic downturn.
Infiniti
As of 2011, the G Series (consisting of the sedan, coupe, and convertible) accounts for 60% of sales. This has been attributed to their SUVs (including crossovers) which have been seen as determinedly aimed at the narrowest of niches, a lost opportunity as SUVs are popular in the U.S. market. In contrast, at archrival Lexus, SUVs contributed half of the sales volume. In 2011, Infiniti sales fell, while other import luxury vehicles were doing well. Furthermore, Infiniti's performance over practicality emphasis has resulted in its crossovers and SUVs faring poorly among women compared to offerings from Acura and Lexus.
Nissan announced the return of front-wheel drive to the Infiniti lineup on August 30, 2011 with the release of the Infiniti JX. It will join Toyota's Lexus brand in terms of blending front-wheel drive and rear-wheel drive vehicles again; since its inception in 1989, Lexus has had front-wheel drive platforms underpinning entry-level vehicles like the Lexus ES and Lexus RX. More importantly, the JX was meant to give Infiniti a credible rival to the Acura MDX and BMW X5 crossovers that offer optional three-row seating.
Rolls-Royce Cullinan
The Rolls-Royce Cullinan is an ultra-luxury SUV produced by Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. The Cullinan is the first SUV to be launched by the Rolls-Royce marque, and is also the brand's first all-wheel drive vehicle.
Four-wheel drive
With the acquisition of the "Jeep" name in 1950 Willys had cornered the brand. Its successor, Kaiser Jeep, introduced a revolutionary 4WD wagon called the Wagoneer in 1963. Not only was it technically innovative, with independent front suspension and the first automatic transmission coupled to 4WD, it was equipped and finished as a regular passenger automobile. In effect, it was the ancestor of the modern SUV. The luxury Rambler or Buick V8s powered Super Wagoneer produced from 1966 to 1969 raised the bar even higher.
Subaru Leone
The first generation Leone was released on October 7, 1971 as a front-wheel drive coupé, with trim levels DL, GL and GSR. April 1972 saw the introduction of the two- and four-door sedans with trim levels DL, GL and in Japan, the Super Touring. At its introduction, the Leone was Subaru's largest car, and was the top level vehicle above the "kei" car Subaru Rex.
Jeep Wagoneer (SJ)
The 1966 model year also saw the introduction of the more luxurious Super Wagoneer, identified by a new more modern looking full-width grille. Initially sporting a higher-performance version of the AMC V8, fitted with a four-barrel carburetor. With comfort and convenience features not standard or even available on other vehicles of its type at the time - e.g. push-button radio, seven-position tilt steering wheel, ceiling courtesy lights, air conditioning, power tailgate, power brakes, power steering, and console-shifted TH400 automatic transmission – the Super Wagoneer is now widely regarded as the precursor of today's luxury SUVs.
American Motors Corporation
In August 1979, for the 1980 model year, AMC introduced four-wheel drive versions of the Spirit and Concord, calling the collective line the AMC Eagle. Eagles rapidly became one of the company's best-known products and is considered one of the first "crossover SUVs". Eagles used the 2-wheel drive body shells mounted on an all-new platform developed by American Motors in the late 1970s. Featuring an innovative full-time four-wheel drive system, it sold best in snow-prone areas. Sales started strongly but declined over time. While the two-wheel drive Spirit and Concord were both discontinued after 1983 as the company concentrated on its new Renault Alliance, the Eagle survived for five years longer, albeit only in station wagon form, into the 1988 model year. This meant the four-wheel drive Eagle was the lone representative of the AMC brand from 1984–1988. All the company's remaining output was branded Renault or Jeep. The last AMC Eagle was built on December 14, 1987.
Oldsmobile Recon
The Oldsmobile Recon was a 1999 concept car built by Oldsmobile. It was a compact crossover SUV that featured 5 doors, 5 seats, a dual panel panoramic sunroof and rear suicide doors. Another unique feature was a reconfigurable instrument panel. The Recon was all-wheel-drive. It also featured a 3.0L V6 engine. The Recon never became a production model; the most likely reason is Oldsmobile's discontinuation in 2004. However, GM's first true compact SUV, the 2002 Saturn Vue does bear a slight resemblance to the Recon.
Mercury Sable
The Taurus and Sable siblings used flush aerodynamic composite headlights with replaceable halogen bulbs. Ford was the first to produce and sell vehicles with such headlights in the U.S., when it introduced the Continental Mark VII in 1983. To do so, Ford (among other automakers) had to lobby the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to have them approved. The Taurus and Sable were the first domestically-produced, mainstream sedans to use the new lights. They also went beyond the Audi 5000, with which they were often compared, to adopt a grille-less "bottom breather" nose, first pioneered by the Citroën DS in the 1950s, and also used briefly on the Mustang.
BMW
BMW's first SUV, the BMW X5 (E53), was introduced in 1999. The X5 was a large departure from BMW's image of sporting "driver’s cars", however, it was very successful and resulted in other BMW X Series being introduced. The smaller BMW X3 was released in 2003.
Essex (automobile)
Initially Essex marketed a line of touring cars (open four-door cars with canvas tops), which was the most popular body style of cars in production at the time. While Essex added an enclosed sedan in 1920, it was the introduction of the 1922 closed coach, priced at $1,495 (which in early 2015 would be between $15,917 and $21,015, depending on the inflation calculator used), $300 above that of the touring car. By 1925 the coach was priced below the touring car. While Henry Ford is credited with inventing the affordable car, it was Essex that made the enclosed car affordable.
Toyota RAV4
The is a compact crossover SUV (sport utility vehicle) produced by the Japanese automobile manufacturer Toyota. This was the first compact crossover SUV; it made its debut in Japan and Europe in 1994, and in North America in 1995. The vehicle was designed for consumers wanting a vehicle that had most of the benefits of SUVs, such as increased cargo room, higher visibility, and the option of full-time four-wheel drive, along with the maneuverability and fuel economy of a compact car. Although not all RAV4s are four-wheel-drive, RAV4 stands for "Recreational Activity Vehicle: 4-wheel drive", because the aforementioned equipment is an option in select countries.
Cadillac Escalade
On February 13, 2010, according to a report on Autoblog.com, GM had reissued a redesign on the GM fullsize SUV lineup, including the Escalade, for a 2014 release due to increased SUV sales, and was working on its fullsize SUV replacements, which would see a possible change in the Escalade's SUV platform. But in July 2013, a series of spy shots revealed that GM will keep the Escalade a body-on-frame SUV. However, GM is looking at expanding the Escalade brand to the large CUV segment, which would see a vehicle using the Escalade badge sharing the same platform as the Chevrolet Traverse and GMC Acadia, which is in the planning stages. According to VP Bob Ferguson, Cadillac's first 3-row Escalade CUV could be introduced in 2016. There is also a possibility that GM might export the Escalade to Australia as a right-hand drive vehicle as part of Cadillac's global expansion, despite GM's decision to shut down its Holden division there in 2017.
Land yacht (automobile)
A land yacht is an informal term used to describe large automobiles. While full-size cars are manufactured worldwide, the term is most often applied to cars built in the United States between 1960 and 1976. While shorter and lighter than the largest full-size vans and SUVs, land yachts are among the largest mass-produced vehicles ever manufactured. Cars of various body styles have been described as land yachts, including four-door sedans, coupes, convertibles, and station wagons.
Military light utility vehicle
Civilian adaptations of the Willys MB Jeep and Land Rover were the first sport utility vehicles, and some SUVs such as the Chevy Blazer have been used as military light utility vehicles.
Saturn Corporation
In the mid-1980s, GM released the Saturn Concept Car. The car, which resembled the first Saturn SL, was not originally meant to start up a brand; however, GM planned to release the Saturn car under one of its brands, which, at the time, were Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Oldsmobile, and Pontiac. In the late 1980s, GM changed their plan and founded Saturn as its own brand, with its first cars being the Saturn SC and Saturn SL. Production of both Saturn vehicles started in 1990 as early 1991 model year vehicles. The Saturn SW was later added for 1993. GM had plans for a sedan, a coupe, a convertible, a wagon, and even a sport utility vehicle; however, Saturn's first sport utility vehicle, the Vue did not appear until the 2002 model year. and Saturn's first convertible the Sky did not appear until the 2006 model year.
Ford Flex
As of October 2010, the Flex is listed as the number 3 affordable mid-sized SUVs in US News behind the Buick Enclave and Chevrolet Traverse. The Flex Ecoboost is also the first ranked large affordable SUV according to Consumer Reports. It is also ranked the most reliable large sized SUV and Ford's most reliable vehicle as ranked by Consumer Reports. Ford Flex AWD was ranked highest of large SUVs by the percentage of owners who would definitely purchase that same vehicle again.
Sport utility vehicle
Many people question "how can an SUV be called a truck?" Although the original definition of the "light truck" classification included pickups and delivery vans, usually SUVs and minivans are included in this category because these vehicles are designed to "permit greater cargo-carrying capacity than passenger carrying volume." Manufacturing, emissions, and safety regulations in the U.S. classify "an SUV is a truck"; however, for local licensing and traffic enforcement, "an SUV may be a truck or a car" because the classification of these vehicles varies from state to state. For industry production statistics, SUVs are counted in the light truck product segment.
Sport utility vehicle
The production of luxury models increased in the late-1990s with vehicles such as the Lincoln Navigator and Cadillac Escalade. These luxury SUVs generated higher profit margins than non-luxury SUVs did. For some auto makers, luxury SUVs were the first SUV models they produced. Some of these models are not traditional SUVs based on light truck as they are classified as crossovers.
Hyundai ix35 FCEV
The Hyundai ix35 FCEV or Tucson FCEV is a hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle developed by Hyundai. It is the first SUV-like vehicles to be sold commercially, as well as the first commercially mass-produced hydrogen fuel cell vehicle in the world. Different versions are known, the previous version was based on the Hyundai Tucson FCEV, and the upcoming model is based on the current ix35 FCEV. The first generation was introduced in 2001, with the Hyundai Santa Fe FCEV, and had a range of , with a top speed of .
Crossover (automobile)
Crossover, or crossover SUV, are terms predominantly used in the United States for vehicles with sport utility vehicle (SUV) styling features that are based on passenger car platforms and are only intended for light off-road use. Models which are classified as crossovers in the United States are classified as SUVs in other countries.
Jeep
The French automaker Renault began investing in AMC in 1979. During this period Jeep introduced the XJ Cherokee, its first unibody SUV; and global sales top 200,000 for the first time in 1985. However, the replacement of the CJ Jeeps by the new Wrangler line in 1986 marked the start of a different era. By 1987, the automobile markets had changed and Renault itself was experiencing financial troubles.
Isuzu Axiom
The Isuzu Axiom is a mid-size SUV introduced by Isuzu in 2001 for the 2002 model year. The Axiom is derived from the Isuzu Rodeo and was intended to be Isuzu's response to the popularity of car-based SUVs such as the Toyota Highlander, replacing the Trooper as Isuzu's flagship vehicle in the United States.
Sport utility vehicle
Starting in 2015, sales of SUVs started dominating the industry. In 2016 global market researcher Euromonitor International released news that world-wide SUV sales surged 22 percent since 2015. "SUVs overtook lower medium cars to become the largest automotive segment in 2015, accounting for 22.9 percent of light vehicle sales globally." The world's fastest growing SUV markets in 2014-2015 were: China: + 47.9 percent; Italy (+ 48.6%), Spain (+ 42%), Portugal (+ 54.8 %) and Thailand (+ 56.4%). According to automotive market researcher Focus2Move, the SUV segment
grew to 27 million units in 2016, or 26% of global passenger car sales, updated to 21.6 million sales for Q1–Q3 of 2017, taking 36.8% of total market. Moreover: the 12% growth of the SUV sector was the only growing segment at global level, and thus solely responsible for overall 2.4% growth of the world's passenger car market.
Nissan X-Trail
The Nissan X-Trail is a compact crossover SUV produced by the Japanese automaker Nissan since 2000. In third generation, it is a 3-row (which means 7-seater) SUV. It was one of Nissan's first crossovers and was released about the same time as several other companies' competing car based crossovers, including the Ford Escape and its Mazda Tribute sibling, the Hyundai Tucson, Honda CR-V and the Toyota RAV4, as well as the compact body on frame Suzuki Grand Vitara.
Sport utility vehicle
Early SUV-like production vehicles were descendants from light commercial and light wheeled military / utility vehicles, most prominently the World War II Jeep, but also the 4x4 Dodge WC series ½-ton and ¾-ton trucks. Contrary to the jeep, the larger 4x4 Dodge was not only built as an open-bodied command and reconnaissance vehicle, but also some 8,400 closed-bodied ¾-ton 4x4 carryalls were built for the US Army in 1942–1943. Dodge's post-war evolution of these, the 4WD Power Wagon, was occasionally also fitted with the carryall body.
Acura
In the early 2000s, Acura introduced new models, including the company's first all-original SUV, the MDX, and two models which replaced the Integra coupé and sedan, the RSX and TSX, respectively. Type-S versions of the RSX, CL, and TL were added to the brand's lineup during that decade. Acura's 2005 RL flagship introduced SH-AWD, a torque-vectoring all-wheel drive system. The 2007 RDX, a crossover SUV, featured the first North American use of a turbocharged Honda engine. In the 2010s, Acura debuted more new models, including the ILX, TLX, and RLX, the latter of which introduced Acura's Jewel Eye LED headlights. A second generation NSX was launched in 2016 and features a twin-turbocharged mid-engine, a nine-speed dual-clutch transmission, and Sport Hybrid SH-AWD.
Lexus RX
The RX 330 was named most appealing luxury SUV by J.D. Power and Associates in 2004. It was also the Best Overall Value in the SUV market over in 2003, 2004, and 2005 according to "Intellichoice". The Lexus RX 400h was one of only four SUVs to achieve recognition on J.D. Power and Associates' 2006 Automotive Environmental Index of the top 30 most environmentally friendly vehicles. J.D. Power also awarded the RX 400h the top spot for entry-luxury SUVs in its 2005 Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout Study on owners' attitudes towards new vehicle designs. At the 2005 GreenFleet Awards in the United Kingdom, recognizing environmentally friendly transportation, Lexus was recognized for introducing the RX 400h with the 4x4 Manufacturer of the Year title. The RX 400h was named SUV of Texas at the 2005 Texas Truck Rodeo awards, and was awarded recognition as a CNET editor's choice vehicle in 2005.
Saab Ursaab
Ursaab, also known as 92001 and X9248, was the first of four prototype cars made by Saab AB, which at that time was solely an aeroplane manufacturer, leading to production of the first Saab car, the Saab 92 in 1949. The car is now in the Saab Car Museum in Trollhättan. The name "Ursaab" means "original Saab".
Saab 9-7X
The Saab 9-7X was introduced in 2004 for the 2005 model year and was made by General Motors, and the 9-7X was also built on the GMT360 platform, which is the same platform that the Chevrolet TrailBlazer, GMC Envoy, Isuzu Ascender, Oldsmobile Bravada, and Buick Rainier were all built on. The 9-7X was Saab's first ever SUV. The Saab 9-7X was originally available in two trim levels for 2005: the Linear and the Arc. The Saab 9-7X was not available with a turbocharged engine, which was quite unusual for a Saab vehicle. All Saab 9-7X vehicles come with all-wheel drive as standard equipment. The Saab 9-7X also comes with standard 18-inch sport wheels with 18-inch tires as well. The Saab 9-7X also comes with sport-tuned suspension as standard equipment. The 9-7X was built at GM's Moraine, Ohio assembly plant. The Saab 9-7X is classified as a midsize luxury SUV.
Compact MPV
The first production vehicle to be described by that term was the Renault Scénic, which was voted Car of the year in Europe on its launch in 1996. In Japan, the 1982 Nissan Prairie was introduced featuring many features now associated with the MPV format, along with the Mitsubishi Space Runner in 1991.
Criticism of sport utility vehicles
Heavier-duty SUVs are typically designed with a truck-style chassis with separate body, while lighter-duty (including cross-over models) are more similar to car construction, which are typically built with a unitary construction (where the body actually forms the structure). Originally designed and built to be work vehicles using a truck chassis, SUVs were not comprehensively re-designed to be safely used as passenger vehicles. The British television Fifth Gear programme staged a crash between a first generation (1989–98) Land Rover Discovery with a separate chassis and body, and a modern Renault Espace IV with monocoque (unit) design. This traditional truck-based SUV offered less protection for occupants than that offered in the modern multi-purpose vehicle with unitary construction. In some SUV fatalities involving truck-based construction, lawsuits against the automakers "were settled quietly and confidentially, without any public scrutiny of the results—or the underlying problems with SUV design", thus hiding the danger of vehicles such as the Ford Bronco and Explorer compared to regular passenger cars.