A crossover SUV (also called CUV for Crossover Utility Vehicle) or XUV (not to be confused with GMC's Envoy XUV) is an automobile with a sport utility vehicle appearance but is built upon a more economical and fuel-efficient unibody construction. GMC, formerly known as GMC Truck, is a brand name used on trucks, vans, and SUVs marketed in North America and the Middle East by General Motors. ... The GMC Envoy is an SUV from the GMC marque of General Motors. ... Karl Benzs Velo (vélo means bicycle in French) model (1894) - entered into the first automobile race 2005 MINI Cooper S. An automobile (also motor car or simply car) is a wheeled passenger vehicle that carries its own motor. ... A fourth-generation (2006-) Ford Explorer, the best-selling mid-size SUV in the United States 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. ... Monocoque (French for single shell) or unibody is a construction technique that uses the external skin of an object to support some or most of the load on the structure. ...

The CUV nomenclature was created by automotive marketing departments to move away from the station wagon, which has declined in popularity, and the SUV, which has been stigmatized in American culture as environmentally-unfriendly, over-sized, and wasteful with fuel. The word "CUV" or "Crossover" is not a ubiquitous term and is primarily used by people in the automotive industry.

The nomenclature's unpopularity may be due to the fact that some CUVs are compact- to mid-sized SUVs built with car drivetrains and suspensions (Lexus RX330, BMW X3), while most CUVs are actually station wagons or 5-door hatchbacks with truck-like characteristics such as elevated suspensions and upright seating (Volvo XC90, Mazda CX-7, Dodge Caliber).

In some cases, marketing departments may sometimes blur the line between vehicle body types. Ford USA positions the Freestyle and the Edge as CUVs, although these vehicles are actually station wagons where one resembles a compact-SUV and the other resembles a 5-door hatchback, respectively.

History

AMC Eagle wagon, an early crossover model

Talbot-Matra Rancho, based on the Simca 1100

Australian made Ford Territory SUV

The first of this class of vehicles was the 1957 Moskvitch 410, but more well-known examples are probably the Lada Niva and the AMC Eagle, which debuted in 1977 and 1980 respectively. The Eagle combined Jeep 4×4 off-road functionality with the AMC Concord car-based platform and bodywork. It sold enough to build a small following in sedans, wagons, and short Spirit based body styles. It was discontinued in 1988 when Chrysler phased out old AMC heritage designs. The Niva is still in production, and many Eagles are still on the road. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1426x927, 252 KB) Summary AMC Eagle wagon Licensing File links The following pages link to this file: American Motors Corporation Crossover SUV AMC Eagle ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1426x927, 252 KB) Summary AMC Eagle wagon Licensing File links The following pages link to this file: American Motors Corporation Crossover SUV AMC Eagle ... 1980 AMC Eagle drivetrain and suspension components. ... Image File history File links Talbot-Matra_Rancho. ... Image File history File links Talbot-Matra_Rancho. ... Talbot is an automobile brand, whose history is one of the industrys most complex. ... Mécanique Avion TRAction or Matra is a French company covering a wide range of activities mainly related to aeronautics and weaponry which today operates as the Lagardère Group. ... The Simca 1100 (1967 - 1982) was an automobile built by Chrysler Europes division Simca, sold in Europe and USA until 1982, when it was replaced by the Talbot Horizon. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2304x1536, 3410 KB) Other versions Originally from en. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2304x1536, 3410 KB) Other versions Originally from en. ... The Ford Territory is a crossover SUV built by Ford Australia and based on the EA169 platform of the Ford BA Falcon. ... Moskvitch 410-H Moskvitch 411 Moskvitch 410 was a car from Moskvitch introduced in 1957 as a four wheel drive version of the 402. ... A well-used Russian Niva, parked near the Арбатская Metro station in central Moscow. ... 1980 AMC Eagle drivetrain and suspension components. ... Jeep is an automobile marque (and registered trademark) of DaimlerChrysler. ... This article is missing citation of sources. ... The AMC Concord was a compact car made by the American Motors Corporation (AMC) starting in the 1978 model year and continuing to 1983. ... A Toyota Camry, a recognizable sedan The Ford Five Hundred, a full-sized sedan The 3-box design, indicative of a notchback sedan, as illustrated on a full-size luxury sedan. ... Estate car body style (Saab 95) A station wagon (United States usage), wagon (Australian usage, though station wagon is widely used) or estate car (United Kingdom usage) is a car body style similar to a sedan car but with an extended rear cargo area. ...

In the 1990s, a sport utility vehicle and pickup truck craze took hold of the North American vehicle market, catapulting the light truck segment. What once was a small piece of the market that was originally dedicated to farmers and outdoorsmen, it became another car type used by families for personal transportation. By the end of the decade, light trucks accounted for almost 50% of all new vehicle sales in the United States, and the popularity of the SUV segment was responsible for this shift in buying patterns. Mazda B-Series compact pickup truck with extended cabin and home-made wooden rack. ... Light truck is a vehicle classification generally used by the United States government for regulating fuel economy and safety. ... Light truck is a vehicle classification generally used by the United States government for regulating fuel economy and safety. ...

Traditionally, SUVs were heavy-duty truck-based appliances, with body-on-frame construction. In response to market demands, automakers had been continually making each successive generation of their SUVs more and more "car-like" but the inherent limitations of this configuration made them poorly suited for their new primary function as family haulers. The driver of this DAF tractor with an auto-transport semi-trailer truck prepares to offload Å koda Octavia cars in Cardiff, Wales For other articles with similar names, see Lorry (disambiguation) and truck (disambiguation). ... Body-on-frame is an automobile construction technology. ...

Research showed that a vast majority of SUV owners never took their vehicles off-pavement, much less used them for fording streams or climbing boulders, which was their original purpose. An opportunity to provide what this new type of SUV owner actually wanted was seized.

Customers liked the idea of all-weather traction provided by four-wheel drive, the ability to haul large items or a good number of people, and enjoyed the "commanding" seating position and sense of security that they believed the mass of an SUV provided, but mostly they liked the illusion of an active, outdoorsy lifestyle that an SUV suggested, and that minivans and station wagons implicitly did not. Lloyd LT 600, a vintage minivan 05 Mercury Monterey minivan Buick GL8, sold exclusively in China A minivan, multi-purpose vehicle, people-carrier, people-mover or multi-utility vehicle is a type of automobile similar in shape to a van that is designed for personal use and has between four... Estate car body style (Saab 95) A station wagon (United States usage), wagon (Australian usage, though station wagon is widely used) or estate car (United Kingdom usage) is a car body style similar to a sedan car but with an extended rear cargo area. ...

The Toyota Camry-based Lexus RX300 was introduced in 1999 and was an instant success. It provided all of the aforementioned attributes that customers were looking for in an SUV, but additionally its unibody architecture provided car-like attributes such as a smooth ride, relatively good handling, low step-in height and decent gas mileage, all while providing the desired SUV psychological imagery. The Toyota Camry is a mid-size car assembled by Toyota in Georgetown, Kentucky, USA, as well as Altona, Victoria, Australia, Guangzhou, China and the original factory in Toyota City, Japan. ... First-generation Harrier (xxU1x-series) Second-generation RX300 (xCU3x-series) See also Lexus RX 400h/Toyota Harrier Hybrid The Lexus RX series, RX300 and RX330 (North American markets only), is a crossover SUV produced by Toyota Motor Corporation. ... 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... Monocoque (French for single shell) or unibody is a construction technique that uses the external skin of an object to support some or most of the load on the structure. ...

All wheel drive cars vs. car-like SUVs

A more precise term for "Cross-Over" might be a design that is not a direct modification of an existing car, or truck. "Cross-Over" was applied to the Lexus RX300 to indicate its indeterminate status, and has often been retroactively applied to modified cars such as the AMC Eagle. Much of the Eagle's market would be served when Subaru switched to all AWD cars. Eagleweb is "put off by Subaru's unjust claim" and Automobile Magazine commented "Subaru calls the Outback the "world's first sport-utility wagon," a claim that AMC Eagle owners seem too embarrassed to dispute." First-generation Harrier (xxU1x-series) Second-generation RX300 (xCU3x-series) See also Lexus RX 400h/Toyota Harrier Hybrid The Lexus RX series, RX300 and RX330 (North American markets only), is a crossover SUV produced by Toyota Motor Corporation. ... For other uses, see Subaru (disambiguation). ...

Given the inherent fuzziness of the "Crossover" designation, and automakers' desire to introduce vehicles into this currently "hot" segment, any number of improbable vehicles that are far removed from the original SUV concept are grouped in this category. The designation now signifies almost any non-truck based model that carries some form of SUV styling cues or attributes.

Chrysler, after absorbing AMC would not market cars and wagons like the AMC Eagle until the Chrysler Pacifica (low minivan derivative) and the Chrysler 300C (AWD sedan) of the 2000s. With the Ford Five Hundred (tall large sedan) and Ford Freestyle (wagon version of the Five Hundred, both to be replaced in 2008 by the Ford Taurus and Ford Taurus X), and Saturn VUE (SUV derived from small car), all of the Big 3 would have crossover cars or SUVs. The Subaru B9 Tribeca is a dedicated 3-row SUV redesign starting with the Legacy platform, while the popular Honda Pilot is a redesign of the Honda Odyssey minivan, and the Honda Ridgeline is a crossover pick-up truck. Ford's first AWD sedan was the Ford Tempo, from 1987 to 1991, but was not sold in a wagon or SUV-like version. Currently, the Ford Taurus, Taurus X, Edge, Escape, and Fusion are all car-based vehicles avalable from Ford with AWD. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Genera Several, see below. ... Chrysler Pacifica The Chrysler Pacifica is a crossover SUV from DaimlerChrysler. ... The Chrysler Corporation has used the designation Chrysler 300C to refer to two different vehicles, which are described in separate articles. ... The Ford Five Hundred (code name D258) was a full-size sedan produced by the Ford Motor Company. ... For minivan, see Ford Freestar. ... The Saturn VUE is a mid-size crossover SUV from General Motors Saturn marque. ... The Subaru B9 Tribeca is a five- or seven-seat mid-size, luxury crossover SUV which was launched for the 2006 model year and went on sale in June 2005 in the United States. ... 2006 Honda Pilot The Honda Pilot is Hondas second SUV fully built and designed by Honda, released in the summer of 2002 for the 2003 model year. ... The Honda Odyssey is a minivan / large MPV produced by the Japanese automaker Honda since 1995. ... The Honda Ridgeline is a mid-size crossover vehicle produced by the Japanese automaker Honda. ...

Advantages

Car-based crossover SUVs vehicles have three primary advantages over truck-based SUVs:

• Handling - The unsafe handling characteristics of trucks with respect to sudden, evasive maneuvers has been demonstrated and accepted. Their high center of gravity, tall tire sidewalls, and long-travel suspensions (designed for heavy cargo and off-road use) make designing a truck-based SUV to be resistant to rollovers extremely difficult. Car-based crossovers ride lower and feature more road-appropriate suspension designs that, while limiting their ultimate off-road utility, makes them much more stable and responsive. The fact that many XUVs are front wheel drive makes them easier to handle in slippery weather.
• Economy - Car-based crossovers are much lighter than their heavy-duty truck-based cousins. They also feature light-duty all-wheel drive or even just two-wheel drive rather than less-efficient and heavy four-wheel drive, and use lighter unibody construction as well as coming equipped with more practical "on-road"-oriented tires. As a result, most crossovers get only slightly worse fuel economy than station wagons and sedans based on the same platform owing primarily to the fundamentally less efficient aerodynamics of the SUV shape.
• Cost - Light-duty car components can be cheaper to build and in fact, many modern crossovers are based on small economy cars, driving underlying costs lower still.

This article or section may contain original research or unverified claims. ... Front wheel drive is the most common form of engine/transmission layout used in modern passenger cars, where the engine drives the front wheels. ... This article is missing citation of sources. ... Two wheel drive or 2WD are terms used to describe vehicles with a drivetrain that allows two wheels to receive power from the engine simultaneously. ... Monocoque (French for single shell) or unibody is a construction technique that uses the external skin of an object to support some or most of the load on the structure. ... Tires may refer to: the plural of tire the Italian name for Tiers, Italy, a town in South Tyrol, Italy Category: ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Continuing proliferation

Given the market's demonstrated insatiable appetite for SUVs and SUV-like vehicles, automakers have been scrambling to imbue the desired characteristics (with varying success) to a wide range of disparate products from station wagons such as the Subaru Outback and the Audi Allroad to minivans like the Pontiac Montana SV6, and the Mazda MPV All Sport, extending even to sedans like the Subaru Outback SUS and Ford Five Hundred and running the gamut from entry-level, inexpensive models like the Honda CRV to the luxurious and pricey Cadillac SRX. Estate car body style (Saab 95) A station wagon (United States usage), wagon (Australian usage) or estate car (United Kingdom usage) is a car body style similar to a sedan car but with an extended rear cargo area. ... See also the smaller Impreza-based Subaru Outback Sport The Subaru Outback is a mid-size car produced by Japanese automaker Subaru since 1996. ... The Audi allroad quattro is a Wagon crossover automobile produced by Audi from 2000 till today. ... The Montana is a minivan from the Pontiac division of General Motors that replaced the Pontiac Trans Sport for the 1999 model year. ... Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Mazda MPV The Mazda MPV is a MPV(minivan) manufactured by Mazda. ... See also the smaller Impreza-based Subaru Outback Sport The Subaru Outback is a mid-size car produced by Japanese automaker Subaru since 1996. ... The Ford Five Hundred (code name D258) was a full-size sedan produced by the Ford Motor Company. ... 2005 Honda CR-V, Front 2005 Honda CR-V, Rear The Honda CR-V is a Crossover SUV, a type of automobile, manufactured by Honda. ... The Cadillac SRX is a full-size luxury crossover SUV produced by the Cadillac division of General Motors. ...

Almost every automaker participating in the North American market has a "crossover" vehicle, and the selection of choices has exploded. A short list of current crossovers with their platform genealogy follows (similar vehicles are grouped together):

The Acura MDX (Honda MDX in Japan and Australia) is a mid-size luxury crossover SUV produced by the Japanese automaker Acura since the 2001 model year. ... 2006 Honda Pilot The Honda Pilot is Hondas second SUV fully built and designed by Honda, released in the summer of 2002 for the 2003 model year. ... The Honda Accord is an automobile manufactured by Honda. ... The Audi allroad quattro is a Wagon crossover automobile produced by Audi from 2000 till today. ... C4 Audi 100 sedan- note this is pre-facelift 100, not an A6 The Audi A6 is a mid-size luxury car / executive car produced by the German automaker Audi. ... The BMW X3 is a compact luxury crossover SUV (though BMW advertises it as an SAV, or Sport Activity Vehicle) produced by the German automaker BMW. It is based on the BMW 3-Series automobile platform. ... The E46 automobile platform is the fourth generation of BMWs highly successful 3 Series entry-level luxury car / compact executive car. ... The BMW 3 Series is an entry-level luxury car / compact executive car manufactured by the German automaker BMW since May 1975. ... The BMW X5 is a mid-size luxury crossover SUV sold by BMW since 2000. ... The BMW 5-Series is a series of medium size automobiles manufactured by BMW in Germany. ... The Buick Rendezvous, introduced in the spring of 2001 as a 2002 model year vehicle and produced through the present, is a sport utility vehicle produced by the Buick division of General Motors. ... The Pontiac Aztek, introduced late in the 2001 model year and produced through the 2005 model year, was a mid-size crossover SUV produced by the General Motors marque Pontiac. ... The U platform is a generic name for General Motors minivan platform. ... The Cadillac SRX is a full-size luxury crossover SUV produced by the Cadillac division of General Motors. ... Sigma is General Motors new mid-size rear-wheel drive automobile platform. ... The Chevrolet Captiva (designated C100) is a mid-size crossover SUV developed by GMs design center in Incheon and is based on the GM Theta platform. ... Theta is General Motors new crossover SUV automobile platform. ... The Chevrolet HHR (for Heritage High Roof) is a retro-look compact crossover SUV launched by the Chevrolet division of General Motors at the 2005 Los Angeles Auto Show as a 2006 model. ... Delta is General Motors new compact front-wheel drive automobile and crossover SUV platform, replacing the GM J platform and the Z platform used by the Saturn S-Series. ... The Chevrolet Cobalt is a compact car introduced by Chevrolet in 2004 for the 2005 model year. ... Chrysler Pacifica The Chrysler Pacifica is a crossover SUV from DaimlerChrysler. ... The S platform or S-body is Chryslers minivan platform. ... This article is about the minivan. ... The Dodge Caravan and Dodge Grand Caravan are minivans manufactured by DaimlerChrysler (they were sold by the Chrysler Corporation until 1998). ... The Ford Escape (designated U204) is a compact crossover SUV sold by the automaker Ford Motor Company beginning in the 2001 model year and priced below the Ford Explorer. ... The Mazda Tribute is a small crossover SUV based on the front-wheel drive Mazda 626 platform. ... The Mercury Mariner compact crossover SUV was introduced in 2005. ... The CD3 is Fords global midsize car automobile platform. ... The Ford EcoSport car. ... The Ford Fiesta is a mid-class supermini car designed by the Ford Motor Company in Europe, and also manufactured in Brazil, Mexico, Venezuela, China, India and South Africa. ... For minivan, see Ford Freestar. ... Not to be confused with Ford Taunus. ... The D3 (for D-class and called P2 by Volvo) is a Ford global full-size car automobile platform. ... The Ford Five Hundred (code name D258) was a full-size sedan produced by the Ford Motor Company. ... The Ford Territory is a crossover SUV built by Ford Australia and based on the EA169 platform of the Ford BA Falcon. ... This article is about the Australian car model. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Saturn Outlook is a premium mid-size crossover SUV which debuted at the New York International Auto Show. ... The Buick Enclave (and similar GMC Acadia and Saturn Outlook) is a full-size crossover SUV to be launched for the 2008 model year by the Buick division of General Motors. ... Lambda is General Motors future full-size crossover SUV automobile platform. ... The Holden Commodore is an automobile series built by the Holden division of General Motors in Australia, available as a sedan, wagon or, from 1989, ute (utility or pickup truck). ... The Holden Commodore is a car built by the Holden division of General Motors (GM) in Australia. ... The Holden Commodore is a car series built by the Holden division of General Motors in Australia, available as a sedan, wagon or, from 1989, utility). ... The Holden Commodore is a car built by the Holden division of General Motors (GM) in Australia. ... The Honda CR-V is a compact crossover SUV manufactured by the Japanese automaker Honda since 1996. ... Honda Element logo The Honda Element is a compact crossover SUV manufactured by Honda and released in the United States, Canada and Japan in 2003. ... The Honda Civic is a compact car manufactured by Honda. ... The Infiniti FX is a compact luxury crossover SUV sold by Infiniti. ... The Nissan FM platform is a modern FM layout automobile platform. ... The Infiniti G35 is a compact executive car produced by Nissans Infiniti division. ... The Lincoln MKX is a Lincoln crossover SUV which was supposed to be named Lincoln Aviator, when the XUV replaces Explorer-based SUV in Lincolns lineup. ... The Ford Edge is a mid-size crossover SUV under the Ford marque. ... The CD3 is Fords global midsize car automobile platform. ... Originally called the Zephyr for the 2006 model year, the Lincoln MKZ is a midsize car from the Lincoln automobile division of the Ford Motor Company. ... First-generation RX 300 (Harrier) (xxU1x-series) Second-generation RX 300 (xCU3x-series) See also Lexus RX 400h/Toyota Harrier Hybrid The Toyota Harrier is a midsize crossover SUV manufactured by the Toyota Motor Corporation. ... Under the hood of a Highlander The Toyota Kluger (called Highlander outside Japan and Australia) is a model of SUV assembled by the Toyota Motor Corporation under the Toyota brand name. ... The Toyota Camry is a mid-size car assembled by Toyota in Georgetown, Kentucky, USA, as well as Altona, Victoria, Australia, Guangzhou, China and the original factory in Toyota City, Japan. ... The Mazda CX-9 is a crossover SUV to be built alongside the smaller Mazda CX-7. ... The CD3 is Fords global midsize car automobile platform. ... The Mitsubishi Endeavor is a midsize SUV that is based off of the platform of the North American version of the Mitsubishi Galant. ... The Mitsubishi Galant is an automobile manufactured by Mitsubishi Motors since 1969. ... The Mitsubishi Outlander is a compact crossover SUV manufactured by Mitsubishi Motors. ... The Mitsubishi Lancer is a compact car built by Mitsubishi Motors. ... 2004 Murano SE in black (Front) 2004 Murano SE in black (Back) The Nissan Murano is a near-luxury mid-size crossover SUV manufactured by Nissan Motors which began retail sales in the 2003 model year, originally as the top-of-the-line SUV, which was larger than the Pathfinder... For the Final Fantasy Tactics character, see Altima (Final Fantasy Tactics). ... The Nissan X-Trail is a compact crossover SUV produced by the Japanese automaker Nissan since 2001, and the X-Trail is Nissans first crossover SUV, using the Nissan FF-S platform. ... The Nissan Almera was a small family car built by Nissan from 1995 to 2006. ... The Subaru Forester, is a compact crossover SUV produced since 1997 by the Japanese automaker Subaru. ... The Subaru Impreza is a compact car that was first introduced by Subaru in 1993. ... See also the smaller Impreza-based Subaru Outback Sport The Subaru Outback is a mid-size car produced by Japanese automaker Subaru since 1996. ... The Suzuki SX4 is a mini SUV developed by Japanese and Italian automakers Suzuki and Fiat and produced since 2006. ... The Suzuki Swift is a subcompact automobile from the Suzuki Motor Corporation. ... The Toyota Matrix is a car manufactured by Toyota in Cambridge, Ontario, Canada and sold in North America. ... The Pontiac Vibe is a car produced in Fremont, California, USA by NUMMI (New United Motor Manufacturing, Inc), a shared endeavor between General Motors and Toyota. ... The Toyota Corolla is a compact car produced by the Japanese automaker Toyota, which has acquired significant popularity throughout the world since the nameplate was first introduced in 1966. ... The Volvo XC90 is a mid-size luxury crossover SUV. It is based on the Volvo P2 platform, shared with the Volvo S80 and other larger Volvo cars. ... The D3 (or Volvo P2) is Fords global full size car automobile platform. ... The Volvo S80 is a mid size luxury executive car produced by the Swedish automaker Volvo and was introduced in 1999 as a replacement for the Volvo 960/S90 sedan. ...

See also

• List of recent crossover SUVs
• Car classification
• Compact SUV
• Mini SUV
• Recreational vehicle
• Sport utility vehicle
• Station wagon

This is a list of current automobile models by type. ... It has been suggested that Vehicle size class be merged into this article or section. ... Subaru Forester, one of the first vehicles to be named a compact SUV Suzuki Grand Vitara, a modern compact SUV Compact SUV is a class of small sport utility vehicles with a length between 4. ... Mini SUV is a class of small sport utility vehicles which are more or less under 4,15 m long. ... A camper built on a light truck chassis. ... A fourth-generation (2006-) Ford Explorer, the best-selling mid-size SUV in the United States 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. ... Estate car body style (Saab 95) A station wagon (United States usage), wagon (Australian usage, though station wagon is widely used) or estate car (United Kingdom usage) is a car body style similar to a sedan car but with an extended rear cargo area. ...

References

• Ford Edge CUV concept article (in French)

External links

• Crossovers news