Small SUVs - Where Size Doesn't Matter

2008-10-30 14:18:42

( Automobiles )



A sport utility vehicle or SUV is a generic marketing description for a rugged automotive vehicle similar to a station wagon but built on a light-truck chassis. Usually equipped with four-wheel drive for on or off road ability, some SUVs include the towing capacity of a pickup truck with the passenger-carrying space of a mini van such as Chevy mini vans, Chrysler mini vans or Dodge mini vans.

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

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

Early small SUVs were off-road vehicles and are still often used due to their off-road prowess and more manageable size on the trail. The most capable off-road vehicles built earlier were small SUVs due to them having been built for off-roading, while the trend for larger four-door SUV since the introduction of the Jeep Cherokee and the Ford Explorer has increasingly been toward family hauling and on-road use rather than hard off-roading.

Small SUVs have become popular because of their advantages. Aside from being a different looking car, small SUVs have better fuel economy compared to larger SUVs, which is very similar to subcompact cars. Small SUVs are designed for singles or small families on the move, and offer reasonable fuel economy and the security of available all-wheel drive. If you need flexible space for people and cargo in a manageable, condensed package, then a small SUV might be an excellent choice for you.


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