 |
Business | Industries | Finance | Tax |
| Index: > A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z |
|
|||||
| First Prev [ 1 2 3 ] Next Last |
|
A sport utility vehicle (SUV) or off-roader is a vehicle that combines the load-hauling and passenger-carrying capacity of a large station wagon or minivan with features designed for off-road driving. In more recent years, the term has also grown to encompass vehicles with similar size and style that are marketed as sport utility vehicles, but which do not actually incorporate substantial off-road features. A new category, the crossover SUV uses car components for lighter weight and better economy.
SUVs are derived from light truck platforms, but have developed to have the general shape of a station wagon. Typical to a light truck platform, SUVs have a taller setup than a station wagon due to the more upright seating stance and a suspension designed for giving ground clearance for off-road driving. In higher-end models, all four wheels can provide motion ("drive"), unlike the majority of automobiles in which only the front or rear wheels provide drive. The design also allows for a large engine compartment, and many SUVs have large V-6 or V-8 engines. In countries where fuel is more expensive, buyers often opt for diesel engines, which are more fuel efficient (and diesel fuel itself is often much cheaper).
Outside of North America these vehicles are known simply as four-wheel-drives, often abbreviated to 4WD or 4x4. In Australia, "Utility", or "Ute", refers an automobile with a flatbed rear or pick-up, typically seating two passengers and is often used by tradesmen, and is typically not a 4WD vehicle. In the UK, SUVs are often referred to in derogatory terms as Soft-Roaders.
Descended from commercial and military vehicles such as the Jeep and Land Rover, they have been popular for many years with rural buyers due to their off-road abilities. However, in the last 25 years, and even more in the last decade, they have become popular with urban buyers. Consequently, more modern SUVs often come laden with luxury features and some crossover SUVs, such as the BMW X5, the Acura MDXThe Acura MDX Honda MDX in Japan) is a midsize SUV built by Honda of Canada Manufacturing Ltd. in Alliston, Ontario, Canada. It was introduced in late 2000 as a 2001 model. In 2003, the MDX went on sale in Japan. Derived from Honda's Global Midsize Platfo, and the Toyota RAV-4 , have adopted lower ride heights and more car-like suspension settings to better reflect their typical use (overwhelmingly, for normal on-road driving).
Some private SUV owners do indeed take their vehicles off the road to explore places otherwise unreachable by vehicle or for the sheer enjoyment of the driving. In Australia, China, Europe and the U.S. at least, many 4WD clubs have been formed for this purpose.
Modified SUVs also take part in races, most famously in the Paris-Dakar Rally, and the Australian Safari .
SUVs have become popular in US for a variety of reasons. Owners point to their large, comfortable cabins (which approach the passenger and equipment-carrying capabilities of minivans), safety, and the recreational possibilities of the vehicles. Additionally, most large SUVs have far greater towing capacities than conventional cars, and in the case of trailerable boats have superior abilities to launch and retrieve those boats from slippery boat ramps (and, indeed, from many places where no made ramp exists).
Undoubtedly, though, some of their success is due to their rugged, powerful image, a substantial factor for many people who might more logically choose a more economical and cheaper minivan or station wagon. Vehicle manufacturers have been able to sell the image of SUVs effectively, with per-vehicle profits substantially higher than other automobiles. Historically, their simple designs and often outdated technology (by passenger car standards) often made the vehicles cheaper to make than comparably-priced cars. The public's dislike of truck-like characteristics in SUVs has brought about the more-refined current crop of SUVs.
One argument for SUVs recent popularity is cheap gasoline. After accounting for inflationFor alternative meanings see inflation (disambiguation). In economics, inflation is a fall in the market value or purchasing power of money. This is equivalent to a rise in the general level of prices. Inflation is the opposite of deflation. Zero or very, gas prices in the 1990s were cheaper on average than in any decade since the invention of the automobile. If gas prices continue to rise to the point where fuel efficiency affects average consumer vehicle purchasing, SUVs will likely lose popularity to smaller vehicles in the lower-income market.
| Politics | Business | Finance |
 |
 |
 |
|