View source for SUV

{{Short description|Type of automobile}}
{{For|others|SUV (disambiguation)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2017}}
{{multiple issues|
{{Globalize|article|US|date=December 2023}}
{{Full citations needed|date=July 2020}}
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{{multiple image
| direction = vertical
| width = 220
| image1 = 97-01 Jeep Cherokee.jpg
| caption1 = 1997–2001 [[Jeep Cherokee (XJ)|Jeep Cherokee]] {{nobr|compact SUV}}
| image2 = Kia Mohave 3.0 D HM PE2 Snow White Pearl (34) (cropped).jpg
| caption2 = 2020–2024 [[Kia Mohave]] {{nobr|mid-size SUV}}
| image3 = Toyota Land Cruiser VX VJA300W.jpg
| caption3 = 2022 [[Toyota Land Cruiser]] {{nobr|large SUV}}
}}

A '''sport utility vehicle''' ('''SUV''') is a [[car classification]] that combines elements of road-going passenger [[car]]s with features from [[off-road vehicle]]s, such as raised [[ground clearance]] and [[four-wheel drive]].

There is no commonly agreed-upon definition of an SUV, and usage of the term varies between countries. Thus, it is "a loose term that traditionally covers a broad range of vehicles with four-wheel drive."<ref>{{cite web |title=SUV Meaning: What is an SUV? |url= https://www.caranddriver.com/research/a31787452/suv-meaning-what-is-an-suv/ |work=Car and Driver |date=13 April 2020 |access-date=30 August 2022}}</ref> Some definitions claim that an SUV must be built on a [[light truck]] chassis; however, broader definitions consider any vehicle with off-road design features to be an SUV. A [[crossover (automobile)|crossover SUV]] is often defined as an SUV built with a [[unibody]] construction (as with passenger cars); however, the designations are increasingly blurred because of the capabilities of the vehicles, the labelling by marketers, and the electrification of new models.<ref name="Wardlaw">{{cite web |last1=Wardlaw |first1=Christian |title=What is a Crossover SUV? |url= https://www.jdpower.com/cars/shopping-guides/what-is-a-crossover-suv |work=J.D. Power |date=15 September 2021 |access-date=30 August 2022}}</ref>

The predecessors to SUVs date back to military and low-volume models from the late 1930s, and the four-wheel-drive [[station wagon]]s and [[Carryall#Automobile|carryalls]] that began to be introduced in 1949. Some SUVs produced today use unibody construction; however, in the past, more SUVs used [[body-on-frame]] construction. During the late 1990s and early 2000s, the popularity of SUVs significantly increased, often at the expense of the popularity of large [[Sedan (automobile)|sedans]] and station wagons. SUVs accounted for 45.9% of the world's passenger car market in 2021.<ref>{{cite web |title=New registrations of SUVs in key car markets, 2010-2021 – Charts – Data & Statistics |url= https://www.iea.org/data-and-statistics/charts/new-registrations-of-suvs-in-key-car-markets-2010-2021 |date=21 December 2021 |access-date=1 October 2024 |website=iea.org |language=en-GB}}</ref>

SUVs [[Criticism of SUVs|have been criticized]] for a variety of environmental and safety-related reasons. They generally have poorer [[fuel efficiency]] and require more resources to manufacture than smaller vehicles, contributing more to [[Human-made climate change|climate change]] and [[environmental degradation]].<ref name="InternationalEnergy" /> Between 2010 and 2018, SUVs were the second-largest contributor to the global increase in carbon emissions worldwide.<ref name="Kommenda">{{cite web |last=Kommenda |first=Niko |title=SUVs second biggest cause of emissions rise, figures reveal |url= https://www.theguardian.com/environment/ng-interactive/2019/oct/25/suvs-second-biggest-cause-of-emissions-rise-figures-reveal |date=25 October 2019 |access-date=1 October 2024 |work=The Guardian}}</ref> Their higher center of gravity increases their risk of [[Vehicle rollover|rollovers]]. Their higher front-end profile makes them at least twice as likely to kill [[pedestrian]]s they hit.<ref>{{cite web |date=14 November 2023 |first=Joel |last=Rose |title=Taller cars and trucks are more dangerous for pedestrians, according to crash data |url= https://www.npr.org/2023/11/14/1212737005/cars-trucks-pedestrian-deaths-increase-crash-data |website=npr.org |access-date=1 October 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last=Tyndall |first=Justin |title=The effect of front-end vehicle height on pedestrian death risk |url= https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212012224000017 |journal=Economics of Transportation |volume=37 |doi=10.1016/j.ecotra.2024.100342 |date=March 2024 |article-number=100342 |access-date=1 October 2024|url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref name="Freep">{{cite news|last1=Lawrence |first1=Eric D. |last2=Bomey |first2=Nathan |last3=Tanner |first3=Kristi |date=1 July 2018 |title=Death on foot: America's love of SUVs is killing pedestrians |newspaper=Detroit Free Press |url= https://www.freep.com/story/money/cars/2018/06/28/suvs-killing-americas-pedestrians/646139002/|url-status=live |access-date=24 December 2019|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20191214084336/https://www.freep.com/story/money/cars/2018/06/28/suvs-killing-americas-pedestrians/646139002/|archive-date=14 December 2019}}</ref> Additionally, the psychological sense of security they provide influences drivers to drive less cautiously,<ref name="Big and bad">{{cite magazine|last=Gladwell |first=Malcolm |authorlink=Malcolm Gladwell |date=4 January 2004 |title=Big and Bad |url= https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2004/01/12/big-and-bad |url-status=live |access-date=1 October 2024 |magazine=The New Yorker |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160219222512/http://gladwell.com/big-and-bad/ |archive-date=19 February 2016}}</ref> and may in-turn, cause others with smaller vehicles to opt for SUVs in the future under the sense of security, all the while increasing the rate of fatalities of pedestrians.<ref>{{cite web |title=Big cars might make you feel safer. But here's how vehicle size impacts others in a crash |url=https://www.unsw.edu.au/newsroom/news/2024/06/big-cars-feel-safer-how-vehicle-size-impacts-others-crash |website=UNSW Sites |access-date=21 November 2024 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Milman |first1=Oliver |title=How SUVs conquered the world – at the expense of its climate |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/sep/01/suv-conquered-america-climate-change-emissions |website=The Guardian |access-date=21 November 2024 |date=1 September 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Are cars getting too big for the road? |url=https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20240207-are-cars-getting-too-big-for-the-road |website=www.bbc.com |date=8 February 2024 |access-date=21 November 2024}}</ref>

==Definitions==
There is no universally accepted definition of the sport utility vehicle.{{sfn|Bradsher|2002|page=4}} Dictionaries, automotive experts, and journalists use varying wordings and defining characteristics, in addition to regional variations of usage by both the media and the general public. The auto industry also has not settled on one definition of the SUV.{{sfn|Bradsher|2002|page=4}}

=== American English ===
Automotive websites' descriptions of SUVs range from specifically "combining car-like appointments and wagon practicality with steadfast off-road capability" with "chair-height seats and picture-window visibility"<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Bumbeck |first=Mike|title=Utility in Style – The 1972 Jeep Wagoneer blends an iconic design with modern driveability |date=27 August 2024 |url= https://www.hemmings.com/stories/utility-in-style-1972-jeep-wagoneer/ |magazine=Hemmings Classic Car |access-date=1 October 2024}}</ref> to the more general "nearly anything with available all-wheel drive and raised ground clearance".<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.autotrader.com/car-shopping/suv-vs-crossover-whats-difference-215843 |title=SUV vs. Crossover: What's the Difference? |first=Russ |last=Heaps |date=25 March 2022 |website=autotrader.com |access-date=1 October 2024}}</ref> It is also suggested that the term "SUV" has replaced "jeep" as a general term for off-road vehicles.<ref name=Language>{{cite book|last=Glucksberg |first=Sam |title=Understanding Figurative Language: From Metaphor to Idioms |year=2001|publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=9780198027126 |page=112 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=rKX7qcQerLcC&q=In+recent+years,+the+term+SUV+has+come+into+the+popular+lexicon+to+replace+Jeep,+a+name+that+originated+during+World+War+II+as+slang+for&pg=PA112 |via=Google Books |access-date=1 October 2024}}</ref>

American dictionary definitions for SUVs include:
* "rugged automotive vehicle similar to a station wagon but built on a [[Light truck|light-truck]] chassis"<ref name=MWSUV>{{cite dictionary|url= https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/SUV |title=Definition of SUV|dictionary=Merriam-Webster |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180105081637/https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/SUV |archive-date=5 January 2018 |url-status=live |access-date=26 October 2020}}</ref>
* "automobile similar to a station wagon but built on a light truck frame"<ref name=MWfull>{{cite dictionary|url= https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sport-utility%20vehicle |title=Definition of Sport-utility Vehicle|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20171208040936/https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sport-utility%20vehicle |archive-date=8 December 2017 |url-status=live |date=2018-01-03|dictionary=Merriam-Webster|quote=an automobile similar to a station wagon but built on a light truck frame |access-date=26 October 2020}}</ref>
* "large vehicle that is designed to be used on rough surfaces but that is often used on city roads or highways"<ref name=MWSUV/>
* "passenger vehicle similar to a station wagon but with the chassis of a small truck and, usually, four-wheel drive"<ref>{{cite book|title=Webster's New World College Dictionary |edition=Fourth |publisher=Houghton Mifflin Harcourt}}</ref>

=== British English ===
In British English, the terms "4x4" (pronounced "four-by-four"), "jeep", four wheel drive, or "off-road vehicle" are generally used instead of "sport utility vehicle".{{citation needed|date=January 2025}} The sardonic term "Chelsea tractor" is also commonly used, due to the perceived popularity of the vehicles with urban residents of [[Chelsea, London]], and their likeness to vehicles used by farmers.<ref>{{cite web|title=Stereotype of 'Chelsea tractor' reflects reality of urban SUV sales, says report |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/apr/07/stereotype-of-chelsea-tractor-reflects-reality-of-urban-suv-sales-says-report |work=The Guardian |date=7 April 2021 |access-date=9 January 2023}}</ref>

The ''[[Collins English Dictionary]]'' defines a sport utility vehicle as a "powerful vehicle with four-wheel drive that can be driven over rough ground. The abbreviation SUV is often used."<ref>{{cite book|title=Collins Cobuild Advanced English Dictionary|url= https://www.collinsdictionary.com/us/dictionary/english/sport-utility-vehicle |publisher=HarperCollins |access-date=10 November 2019}}</ref>

=== Other countries ===
In Europe, the term SUV is generally used for road-oriented vehicles, described as "J-segment" by the [[European Commission]].<ref name="EEC Merger Procedure">{{cite web |date=17 March 1999 |title=Regulation (EEC) No 4064/89 - Merger Procedure |url= http://ec.europa.eu/competition/mergers/cases/decisions/m1406_en.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090327081429/http://ec.europa.eu/competition/mergers/cases/decisions/m1406_en.pdf |archive-date=2009-03-27 |url-status=live |access-date=2019-03-03 |website=ec.europa.eu |publisher=Office for Official Publications of the European Communities |location=Luxemburg |page=2 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=1 January 2011 |title=Car prices within the European Union / Prix des voitures au sein de l'Union européenne / Autopreise in der europäischen Union |url=http://ec.europa.eu/competition/sectors/motor_vehicles/prices/2011_07_full.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111106234003/http://ec.europa.eu/competition/sectors/motor_vehicles/prices/2011_07_full.pdf |archive-date=2011-11-06 |url-status=live |access-date=2019-03-03 |website=ec.europa.eu |publisher=Publications Office of the European Union |location=Brussels |language=en-uk, fr, de}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Impact on the Competitiveness of the European Automotive Industry of Potential FTA with India and ASEAN |url=http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/sectors/automotive/files/projects/report_fta_india_asean_en.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=29 April 2013 |website=europa.eu |page=8 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130429040531/http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/sectors/automotive/files/projects/report_fta_india_asean_en.pdf}}</ref> "Four-by-four" or the brand name of the vehicle is typically used for off-road-oriented vehicles. Similarly, in New Zealand, vehicles designed for off-road use are typically referred to as "four-wheel drives" instead of SUVs.

=== Government regulations ===
In the United States, many government regulations simply have categories for "off-highway vehicles" which are loosely defined and often result in SUVs (along with pick-up trucks and [[minivans]]) being classified as [[light trucks]].{{sfn|Bradsher|2002|page=4}}<ref>{{cite web|url= https://info.ornl.gov/sites/publications/Files/Pub69643.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180106114928/https://info.ornl.gov/sites/publications/Files/Pub69643.pdf |archive-date=2018-01-06 |url-status=live |title=Transportation Energy Data Book|first1=Stacy C.|last1=Davis|first2=Susan E.|last2=Williams|first3=Robert G.|last3=Boundy|publisher=Oak Ridge National Laboratory |pages=3–5 |edition=35th |year=2016 |access-date=25 July 2021}}</ref> For example, [[corporate average fuel economy]] (CAFE) regulations previously included "permit greater cargo-carrying capacity than passenger carrying volume" in the definition for trucks, resulting in cars with removable rear seats, like the PT Cruiser, being classified as light trucks.<ref name="carortruck">{{cite book|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=c5xNff-XPWoC&q=Definitions+for+passenger+cars+and+trucks+people+ask+how+can&pg=PA263 |page=263|title=Hybrid Vehicles: and the Future of Personal Transportation |first=Allen |last=Fuhs |publisher=CRC Press|isbn=9781420075342|year=2008 |access-date=2019-04-08}}</ref>

This classification as trucks allowed SUVs to be regulated less strictly than passenger cars under the [[Energy Policy and Conservation Act]] for fuel economy, and the [[Clean Air Act (United States)|Clean Air Act]] for emissions.<ref>{{cite web|last=Yacobucci|first=Brent D.|url= https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metacrs5621/m1/1/high_res_d/RS20298_2003Apr17.pdf|title=Sport Utility Vehicles, Mini-Vans, and Light Trucks: An Overview of Fuel Economy and Emissions Standards|publisher=CRS Report for Congress|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170816003557/https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metacrs5621/m1/1/high_res_d/RS20298_2003Apr17.pdf |archive-date=2017-08-16|url-status=live|date=2003-04-17|access-date=2011-12-23}}</ref> However, from 2004 onwards, the [[United States Environmental Protection Agency]] (EPA) began to hold sport utility vehicles to the same tailpipe emissions standards as cars for criteria pollutants, though not greenhouse gas emissions standards as they were not set until 2010.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2015-08/documents/peg.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151014151834/http://www2.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-08/documents/peg.pdf |archive-date=2015-10-14 |url-status=live|title=The Plain English Guide to the CleanAirAct|publisher=United States Environmental Protection Agency|page=8|date=April 2007|access-date=2017-12-06}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.epa.gov/greenvehicles/smog-vehicle-emissions|title= Light Duty Vehicle Emissions|date=June 29, 2022|access-date=January 10, 2023|quote=EPA first set greenhouse gas emission standards for vehicles in 2010, which took effect in MY 2012. }}</ref> In 2011, the CAFE regulations were changed to classify small, two-wheel-drive SUVs as passenger cars.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www1.eere.energy.gov/vehiclesandfuels/facts/m/2012_fotw726.html |title=Fact #726: SUVs: Are They Cars or Trucks? |work=Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy (EERE) U.S. Department of Energy |date=2012-05-07 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140112224330/http://www1.eere.energy.gov/vehiclesandfuels/facts/m/2012_fotw726.html |archive-date=2014-01-12 |access-date=2014-01-12}}</ref>

However, the licensing and traffic enforcement regulations in the United States vary from state to state, and an SUV may be classified as a car in some states but as a truck in others.<ref>{{cite book|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=c5xNff-XPWoC&q=SUV+classified+as+trucks&pg=PA7|page=7|title=Hybrid Vehicles: and the Future of Personal Transportation |first=Allen |last=Fuhs |publisher=CRC Press |isbn=9781420075342 |year=2008 |access-date=2017-12-06}}</ref> For industry production statistics, SUVs are counted in the light truck product segment.<ref name="frost&sullivan">{{cite press release|url= http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/production-of-small-and-compact-suvs-shifts-to-top-gear-in-north-america-finds-frost--sullivan-240075621.html|title=Production of Small and Compact SUVs Shifts to Top Gear in North America, Finds Frost & Sullivan |website=prnewswire.com |date=2014-01-14 |access-date=2014-01-14}}</ref>

In India, all SUVs are classified in the "Utility Vehicle" category per the [[Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers]] (SIAM) definitions and carry a 27% excise tax.<ref>{{cite news|url= http://www.firstpost.com/business/budget-2013-why-suv-found-special-mention-this-budget-day-643760.html |title=Budget 2013: Why SUV found special mention this budget day |first=Sindhu|last=Bhattacharya |date=2013-12-20 |newspaper=Firstpost |access-date=2017-12-06}}</ref> Those that are {{convert|4|m|ft|0|abbr=off}} long, have a {{cvt|1500|cc|cuin|0}} engine or larger, along with {{cvt|170|mm|1}} of ground clearance, are subject to a 30% excise duty.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://profit.ndtv.com/news/industries/article-suv-tax-creating-uneven-playing-field-mahindra-321727 |title=SUV tax creating uneven playing field: Mahindra |date=2013-05-02 |publisher=NDTV |access-date=2017-12-06}}</ref>

In Australia, SUV sales were helped by having lower [[import duty|import duties]] than passenger cars. Up until January 2010, SUVs were subject to a 5% import tariff, compared with 10% for passenger cars.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://blog.autopeople.com.au/2008/11/tariff-reduction-will-soften-price-rises/|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090106180226/http://blog.autopeople.com.au/2008/11/tariff-reduction-will-soften-price-rises/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=2009-01-06 |title=Tariff reduction will soften price rises |website=Blog.autopeople.com.au |date=2008-11-18 |access-date=2010-11-16}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.carpoint.com.au/news/2010/matters-of-great-import-17863|title=Matters of great import |publisher=Carpoint |date=2010-01-06 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151016074751/http://www.carpoint.com.au/news/2010/matters-of-great-import-17863|archive-date=2015-10-16 |access-date=2024-01-07}}</ref>

==== Higher parking fee ====
In February 2024, voters in Paris mandated a triple parking charge rate for SUVs, citing environmental impact and street capacity; this followed similar decisions in [[Lyon]] and [[Tübingen]] with similar ordinances being considered by London, Brussels and Amsterdam.<ref>{{cite news |title=Paris to SUVs: Get off my streets! |work=Politico | date=6 February 2024 |first=Tommaso |last=Lecco  |url=https://www.politico.eu/article/paris-suvs-get-off-streets-france-poluution-car-referendum-environment/}}</ref>

== Characteristics ==
=== Chassis ===
{{multiple image
| direction = vertical
| width= 220
| image1 = ГАЗ М-72 Хабаровск День города.JPG
| caption1 = 1955–1958 [[GAZ-M20 Pobeda#Versions|GAZ M-72 Pobeda]]
| image2 = LADA NIVA 4x4 7832.jpg
| caption2 = 1977–1993 [[Lada Niva]]
}}

Many years after most passenger cars had transitioned to [[unibody]] construction, most SUVs continued to use a separate [[body-on-frame]] method, due to being based on the chassis from a [[light truck]], [[commercial vehicle]], [[pickup truck]], or [[off-road vehicle]].

The first mass-produced [[unibody]] four-wheel-drive passenger car was the Russian 1955 [[GAZ-M20 Pobeda#Versions|GAZ-M20 Pobeda M-72]],<ref>{{cite web|title=M-72 all-terrain vehicle|url= http://gaz20.spb.ru/modif_m72.htm|website=spb.ru |access-date=2019-04-13 |language=ru}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Thompson |first=Andy|title=Cars of the Soviet Union|publisher=Haynes Publishing|location=Somerset, U.K. |year=2008|page=57}}</ref> which could be considered the first crossover car. The 1977 [[Lada Niva]] was the first off-road vehicle to use both a unibody construction and a coil-sprung [[independent front suspension]]. The relatively compact Niva is considered a predecessor to the crossover SUV and combines a hatchback-like passenger car body with full-time four-wheel drive, low-range gearing, and lockable center differential.

Nonetheless, unibody SUVs remained rare until the 1984 Jeep Cherokee (XJ) was introduced and became a sales success. The introduction of the 1993 [[Jeep Grand Cherokee]] resulted in many of Jeep's SUV models using unibody construction,<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.edmunds.com/jeep/grand-cherokee/|title=Jeep Grand Cherokee Review |access-date=2011-04-10 |work=Edmunds}}</ref> with many other brands following suit since the mid-1990s. Today, most SUVs in production use a unibody construction and relatively few models continue to use body-on-frame construction.

=== Body style ===
SUVs are typically of a [[Three-box styling#Two-box design|two-box design]] similar to a [[station wagon]]. The engine compartment is in the front, followed by a combined passenger/cargo area (unlike a sedan, which has a separate trunk/boot compartment).

Up until approximately 2010, many SUV models were available in two-door body styles.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Hunting |first1=Benjamin |title=The 6 Best (and 5 Weirdest) 2 Door SUVs of All Time |url= https://www.drivingline.com/articles/the-6-best-and-5-weirdest-2-door-suvs-of-all-time/ |publisher=DrivingLine |date=21 April 2019 |access-date=16 January 2021}}</ref> Since then, manufacturers began to discontinue the two-door models as the four-door models became more popular.<ref name=Stop2DrSuvs>{{cite web|url= http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2013/04/attention-automakers-please-stop-selling-two-door-suvs/ |title=Attention Automakers: Please Stop Selling Two-Door SUVs |first=Doug |last=DeMuro |date=1 April 2013 |work=The Truth About Cars |access-date=16 January 2021}}</ref><ref name=2DrFail>{{cite web|url= https://www.autotrader.com/car-news/every-single-two-door-suv-has-failed-266841 |title=Every Single Two-Door SUV Has Failed |first=Doug |last=DeMuro |date=21 June 2017 |work=Autotrader |access-date=16 January 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite press release|title=Toyota Sharpens Best-Selling Prado Range|url= http://www.toyota.com.au/news/toyota-sharpens-best-selling-prado-range |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160306161813/http://www.toyota.com.au/news/toyota-sharpens-best-selling-prado-range |archive-date=6 March 2016 |publisher=Toyota |location=Australia |date=14 October 2013 |access-date=16 January 2021}}</ref>

A few two-door SUVs remain available, such as the body-on-frame [[Suzuki Jimny]], [[Mahindra Thar]], [[Toyota Land Cruiser Prado]], [[Ford Bronco]],<ref>{{cite web |last1=Hyatt |first1=Kyle |last2=Szymkowski |first2=Sean |title=2021 Ford Bronco pricing: Here's how much the 2-door and 4-door cost |url= https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/2021-ford-bronco-pricing-2-door-4-door-official/ |publisher=Roadshow |date=15 July 2020 |access-date=16 January 2021}}</ref> and [[Jeep Wrangler]]<ref>{{cite web |title=2020 Jeep Wrangler 2-Door: Lowest Cost to Own Among Off-Road SUVs |url= https://www.kbb.com/best-cars/lowest-5-year-cost-to-own-off-road-suv/ |publisher=Kelley Blue Book |date=5 February 2020 |access-date=16 January 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=HlbCM7VEmroC&q=4+door+Wrangler+introduced&pg=PA14 |page=14 |title=High-Performance Jeep Wrangler TJ Builder's Guide |first=Christian |last=Lee |publisher=CarTech |year=2007 |isbn=9781932494266 |access-date=16 January 2021}}</ref> as well as the [[Range Rover Evoque]] crossover SUV.

{{clear right}}

== Safety ==
{{Further|Criticism of sport utility vehicles}}
[[File:Ford Focus versus Ford Explorer crash test IIHS.jpg|thumb|Side impact damage on a [[Ford Focus]] small car when struck by a [[Ford Explorer]] SUV]]

SUVs typically have high ground clearance and a tall body. This results in a high [[center of mass]], which made SUVs more prone to [[Vehicle rollover|roll-over accidents]].<ref name=CCSThrg/><ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/16/cars/volvo-xc40-recharge-electric-car/index.html |title=Volvo's first fully electric car will also be one of its safest cars ever |first=Peter |last=Valdes-Dapena |work=CNN Business |date=16 October 2019 |access-date=30 August 2022}}</ref> In 2003, SUVs were quoted as 2.5 times more likely to roll over in a crash than regular cars.<ref name=CCSThrg/><ref>{{cite book|first=Adam |last=Penenberg |title=Tragic Indifference: One Man's Battle with the Auto Industry over the Dangers of SUVs |publisher=HarperBusiness |year=2003 |isbn=0-06-009058-8 |url= https://archive.org/details/tragicindifferen00pene/page/12|page=12}}</ref>

Between 1991 and 2001, the United States saw a 150% increase in sport-utility vehicle rollover deaths. In 2001, though roll-overs constituted just 3% of vehicle crashes overall, they caused over 30% of occupant fatalities in crashes;<ref name=CCSThrg/> and in crashes where the vehicle did roll over, SUV occupants in the early 2000s were nearly three times as likely to be killed as other car passengers.<ref name=CCSThrg>{{cite book|title=SUV safety: issues relating to the safety and design of sport utility vehicles: hearing before the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation |publisher=United States Senate, One Hundred Eighth Congress, first session |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=lZ2ojjLs658C&pg=PA18 |via=Diane Publishing |page=18 |date=2003-02-26 |isbn=9781422334188}}</ref> Vehicles with a high center of gravity do sometimes fail the [[moose test]] of maneuverability conducted by Swedish consumer magazine [[Teknikens Värld]], for example, the 1997 [[Mercedes-Benz A-Class]] and 2011 [[Jeep Grand Cherokee]].<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2012/07/jeep-grand-cherokee-fails-swedish-moose-test-lessons-for-u-s-consumers/index.htm |title=Jeep Grand Cherokee fails Swedish moose test, lessons for U.S. consumers |publisher=Consumer Reports |date=13 July 2012 |access-date=27 August 2020}}</ref>

The increasing popularity of SUVs in the 1990s and early 2000s was partly due to buyers perceiving that SUVs provide greater [[car safety|safety]] for occupants, due to their larger size and raised ride height.<ref name="CCSThrg"/>{{sfn|Bradsher|2002}}<ref>{{cite news|url= http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/article/0,28804,1658545_1658544,00.html |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070913125207/http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/article/0,28804,1658545_1658544,00.html |url-status= dead |archive-date= 13 September 2007 |magazine=Time|title=The 50 Worst Cars Of All Time |date=2007-09-07|access-date=2010-05-23}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|first=Robin |last=Croft |year=2006 |title=Folklore, families and fear: understanding consumption decisions through the oral tradition|journal=Journal of Marketing Management |volume=22|issue=9/10|pages=1053–1076|issn=0267-257X |doi=10.1362/026725706778935574 |s2cid=144646252}}</ref> Regarding the safety of other road users, SUVs are exempted from U.S. regulation stating that a passenger car bumper must protect the area between {{convert|16 and 20|in|cm|0}} above the ground. This often increases the damage to the other car in a collision with an SUV, because the impact occurs at a higher location on the other car.<ref>{{cite web|title=When cars and SUVs crash: Bumper mismatch boosts costs|date=2 December 2010|url= https://money.cnn.com/2010/12/02/autos/suv_bumper_mismatch/index.htm |work=CNN |access-date=2019-04-14}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.iihs.org/iihs/topics/t/vehicle-size-and-weight/qanda#vehicle-size-and-weight|title=Q&As – Vehicle size and weight|publisher=Insurance Institute for Highway Safety|location=U.S.|date=April 2018|access-date=2019-02-11}}</ref> In 2000–2001, 60% of fatal side-impact collisions were where the other vehicle was an SUV, an increase from 30% in 1980–1981.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.iihs.org/ratings/side_test_info.html|title=Side-impact crash test program|publisher=Insurance Institute for Highway Safety|url-status=dead|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20101230065653/http://www.iihs.org/ratings/side_test_info.html|archive-date=2010-12-30}}</ref>

The introduction of [[electronic stability control]] (ESC) and rollover mitigation, as well as increased analysis of the risks of a rollover, led the IIHS to report in 2015 that "the rollover death rate of 5 per million registered vehicle years for 2011 models is less than a quarter of what it was for 2004 models. With ESC dramatically reducing rollover risk, the inherent advantages offered by SUVs' greater size, weight, and height emerge more clearly. Today's SUVs have the lowest driver death rate of any vehicle type."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.iihs.org/news/detail/improved-vehicle-designs-bring-down-death-rates|title = Improved vehicle designs bring down death rates}}</ref>

The high danger for cyclists and pedestrians of being seriously injured or even killed by SUV drivers has caused some public protests against SUVs in urban areas.<ref>{{cite news|last=Oltermann |first=Philip |date=2019-09-09|title=Berliners call for 4x4 ban after four people killed in collision |work=The Guardian |url= https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/sep/09/berliners-call-for-suv-ban-after-four-people-killed-in-collision |access-date=2020-05-12|issn=0261-3077}}</ref> In 2020, a study by the U.S.-based [[IIHS]] found that, of a sample of 79 crashes from three urban areas in Michigan, SUVs caused more serious injuries compared to cars when impacts occurred at greater than {{cvt|19|mph|km/h|order=flip|0}}. The IIHS noted the sample size of the study was small and that more research is needed.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.iihs.org/news/detail/new-study-suggests-todays-suvs-are-more-lethal-to-pedestrians-than-cars |title=New study suggests today's SUVs are more lethal to pedestrians than cars |publisher=Insurance Institute for Highway Safety |location=US |date=2020-06-16 |access-date=2021-01-16}}</ref> The popularity of SUVs contributed to an increase in pedestrian fatalities in the U.S. during the 2010s, alongside other factors such as distracted and drunk driving.<ref>{{Cite news|url= https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/nov/22/he-was-fast-he-ran-you-right-over-what-its-like-to-get-hit-by-an-suv |title= 'He was fast … he ran you right over': what it's like to get hit by an SUV |work= [[The Guardian]] |date= 22 November 2022 |access-date= 10 April 2023 |last= Dean |first= Tamara}}</ref>

A 2021 study by the [[University of Illinois Springfield]] showed that SUVs are 8 times more likely to kill children in a collision than passenger cars, and multiple times more lethal to adult pedestrians and cyclists.<ref>{{cite journal |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0022437522000810 |title= Effects of large vehicles on pedestrian and pedalcyclist injury severity |first1=M. |last1=Edwards |first2=D. |last2=Leonard |date=September 2022 |journal=Journal of Safety Research |volume=82 |pages=275–282 |doi=10.1016/j.jsr.2022.06.005 |pmid=36031254 |s2cid=249860954|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

== Environmental impact ==
{{Further|Criticism of sport utility vehicles}}
SUVs generally have poorer [[fuel efficiency]] than smaller cars,<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.theautochannel.com |title=Source The AutoChannel |publisher=The Auto Channel|access-date=2010-12-31}}</ref> and thus contribute more to environmental degradation and [[global warming]].

SUVs emit about 700 [[megatonne]]s of [[carbon dioxide]] per year,<ref name="InternationalEnergy">{{cite web|last1=Cozzi |first1=Laura |last2=Petropoulos |first2=Apostolos |title=Growing preference for SUVs challenges emissions reductions in passenger car market|url= https://www.iea.org/commentaries/growing-preference-for-suvs-challenges-emissions-reductions-in-passenger-car-market |work=International Energy Agency |date=15 October 2019 |access-date=18 February 2020 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200204165813/https://www.iea.org/commentaries/growing-preference-for-suvs-challenges-emissions-reductions-in-passenger-car-market |archive-date=2020-02-04 |quote=On average, SUVs consume about a quarter more energy than medium-size cars. As a result, the global fuel economy worsened caused in part by the rising SUV demand since the beginning of the decade, even though efficiency improvements in smaller cars saved over 2 million barrels a day, and electric cars displaced less than 100,000 barrels a day. In fact, SUVs were responsible for all of the 3.3 million barrels a day growth in oil demand from passenger cars between 2010 and 2018, while oil use from other types of cars (excluding SUVs) declined slightly.}}</ref> a gas which is linked to global warming.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Causes of climate change |url=https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/climate-change/causes-of-climate-change |access-date=2025-02-01 |website=Met Office |language=en}}</ref> According to the [[International Energy Agency]], from 2010 SUVs have been the second-largest contributor to the increase in global {{CO2}} emissions, second only to the power sector.<ref name="InternationalEnergy"/>

SUVs were responsible for all of the 3.3 million [[Barrel (unit)|barrels]] a day growth in oil demand from passenger cars between 2010 and 2018, whereas efficiency improvements in smaller cars saved over 2 million barrels a day, with electric cars reducing oil demand by under 100,000 barrels a day.<ref name=InternationalEnergy/>

Whereas SUVs can be [[Electric vehicle conversion|electrified]],<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.kreiselelectric.com/en/blog/kreisel-electric-and-arnold-schwarzenegger-present-the-worlds-first-electrified-hummer-h1/ |title=Kreisel Electric and Arnold Schwarzenegger present the world's first electrified Hummer H1 |publisher=Kreisel |location=Austria|access-date=2020-01-24}}</ref> or converted to run on [[Alternative fuel vehicle|a variety of alternative fuels]], [[Hydrogen internal combustion engine vehicle#Adaptation of existing engines|including hydrogen]],<ref>{{cite news|last=Lianos|first=Miguel|url= https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna4563676 |title=Hydrogen cars ready to roll - for a price|date=2004-06-23|access-date=2020-01-24|publisher=NBC|location=U.S.}}</ref> their (manufacturing) emissions will always be larger than smaller electric cars.<ref>{{cite news|url= https://www.greenpeace.org/international/story/24107/bigger-is-not-better-how-suvs-are-killing-the-climate/ |title=Bigger is not better – how SUVs are killing the climate |first=Andrew |last=Tobert |publisher=Greenpeace International |date=2019-09-07 |access-date=2020-01-24}}</ref> On average, SUVs consume about a quarter more energy than medium-size cars.<ref name=InternationalEnergy/> Furthermore, the vast majority of these vehicles are not converted to use alternative fuels.

Between 2010 and 2018 SUVs were the second largest contributor to the global increase in carbon emissions worldwide.<ref name="Kommenda"/>

== Types of SUV ==
=== Crossover SUV ===
{{main|Crossover (automobile)}}

The "crossover SUV" segment (also known as "CUVs" or simply "crossovers") has become increasingly popular since around 2010. Crossovers are often based on a platform shared with a passenger car, as a result, they typically have better comfort and fuel economy, but less off-road capability (many crossovers are sold without all-wheel drive) than pickup truck-based SUVs.<ref name="intelli">{{cite web |title=Smart Buying Essentials What is a Crossover Vehicle? |work=Intellichoice |url= http://www.intellichoice.com/carBuying101/what-is-a-crossover |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110717054551/http://www.intellichoice.com/carBuying101/what-is-a-crossover |archive-date=17 July 2011 |access-date=27 July 2015}}</ref><ref name="cnn1">{{cite news |title= GM and Ford's New Cross to Bear |work=CNN Money |first=Chris |last=Isidore |date=9 January 2006 |url= https://money.cnn.com/2006/01/09/Autos/detroit_crossovers/index.htm |access-date= 27 July 2015}}</ref><ref name="autos.aol.com">{{cite web |title=Crossover 101 |url= http://autos.aol.com/article/crossovers-101/ |website=aol.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160416223830/http://autos.aol.com/article/crossovers-101/ |archive-date=16 April 2016}}</ref>

The difference between crossovers and other SUVs is sometimes defined as a crossover being built using a [[unibody]] platform (the type used by most passenger cars), while an SUV is built using a [[body-on-frame]] platform (the type used by off-road vehicles and light trucks).<ref>{{cite web |title=Difference between a crossover vehicle and SUV? |url=https://www.hertzcarsales.co.uk/used-cars-blog-difference-between-a-crossover-vehicle-and-suv |website=hertzcarsales.co.uk |access-date=2019-04-22 |language=en |date=2019-01-30 |archive-date=6 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201106132038/https://www.hertzcarsales.co.uk/used-cars-blog-difference-between-a-crossover-vehicle-and-suv |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=What is the Difference Between Crossovers and SUVs? « Harbin Automotive |url=https://www.harbinautomotive.com/blog/what-is-the-difference-between-crossovers-and-suvs/ |website=harbinautomotive.com |access-date=2019-04-22 |language=en |archive-date=22 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190422013640/https://www.harbinautomotive.com/blog/what-is-the-difference-between-crossovers-and-suvs/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=What's the Difference Between an SUV, a Crossover, & a CUV? |url= https://thenewswheel.com/whats-the-difference-between-an-suv-a-crossover-a-cuv/ |website=thenewswheel.com |access-date=2019-04-22 |date=2017-03-30}}</ref> However, these definitions are often blurred in practice, since unibody vehicles are also often referred to as SUVs.<ref>{{cite web |title=SUV vs. Crossover: What's the Difference? |url= https://www.autotrader.com/car-shopping/suv-vs-crossover-whats-difference-215843 |website=autotrader.com |access-date=2019-04-22}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=SUVs vs. Crossovers: What's the Difference? |url= https://cars.usnews.com/cars-trucks/best-cars-blog/2016/09/suvs-vs-crossovers-whats-the-difference |website=usnews.com |access-date=2019-04-22}}</ref> Also, crossover is a relatively recent term and early unibody SUVs (such as the 1984 Jeep Cherokee) are rarely called crossovers. Due to these inconsistencies, the term SUV is often used as a catch-all for both crossovers and SUVs.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Difference Between SUVs and Crossover Cars |url= https://www.carwriteups.co.uk/2018/04/difference-suvs-crossovers-cars/ |website=carwriteups.co.uk |access-date=2019-04-22 |date=2018-04-09}}</ref>

Outside of the United States, the term crossover tends to be used for [[C-segment]] ([[compact car|compact]]) or smaller vehicles, with large unibody vehicles—such as the [[Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class]], [[BMW X7]], and [[Range Rover]]—usually referred to as SUVs rather than crossovers. In the United Kingdom, a crossover is sometimes defined as a hatchback model with raised ride height and SUV-like styling features.<ref>{{cite web |title=What's the difference between a crossover, SUV and 4x4? |url= https://www.carbuyer.co.uk/tips-and-advice/159974/whats-the-difference-between-a-crossover-suv-and-4x4 |website=carbuyer.co.uk |access-date=2019-04-22}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=SUV vs Crossover: What are the Differences and Similarities? |url=https://www.leasefetcher.co.uk/blog/suv-vs-crossover-differences |website=leasefetcher.co.uk |access-date=2019-04-22 |archive-date=22 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190422013641/https://www.leasefetcher.co.uk/blog/suv-vs-crossover-differences |url-status=dead }}</ref>
:Examples: {{Cl|Crossover sport utility vehicles|count=yes}}

=== Mini SUV ===
{{See also|Subcompact crossover SUV}}
The smallest size class of SUVs is the "mini SUV". In Japan, SUVs under {{cvt|3400|mm|1}}—such as the [[Mitsubishi Pajero Mini]]—are included in the [[kei car]] category and therefore attract lower taxes.

Many recent vehicles labeled as mini SUVs are technically [[subcompact crossover]]s and are built on the platform of a subcompact (also called supermini or B-segment) passenger car.

:Examples: {{Cl|Mini sport utility vehicles|count=yes}}

<gallery mode="packed" heights="110">
File:Mitsubishi Pajero Pinin front 20100525.jpg|[[Mitsubishi Pajero Pinin]], mini SUV
File:2019 Suzuki Jimny SZ5 4X4 Automatic 1.5.jpg|[[Suzuki Jimny]], off-road mini SUV
</gallery>

=== Compact SUV ===
{{main|Compact sport utility vehicle}}
{{See also|Compact crossover SUV}}
The "compact SUV" is the next bigger-size class after mini SUVs.

Many recent vehicles labeled as compact SUVs are technically [[compact crossover]]s and are built on the platform of a compact (C-segment) passenger car.

:Examples: {{Cl|Compact sport utility vehicles|count=yes}}

<gallery mode="packed" heights="110">
File:Nissan Xterra -- 04-22-2010.jpg|[[Nissan Xterra]], compact truck-based SUV
File:Land Rover Defender (L663) at IAA 2019 IMG 0688.jpg|[[Land Rover Defender (L663)|Land Rover Defender 90]]
File:1994-1997 Jeep Cherokee (XJ) Sport 01.jpg|[[Jeep Cherokee (XJ)|Jeep Cherokee]], unibody SUV
</gallery>

=== Mid-size SUV ===
{{See also|Crossover (automobile)#D|l1=Mid-size crossover SUV}}
The next larger size is called the "mid-size SUV". Some mid-size SUVs are based on platforms shared with passenger cars and therefore, are crossovers. Other mid-size SUVs are based on compact or mid-size pickups.

:Examples: {{Cl|Mid-size sport utility vehicles|count=yes}}

<gallery mode="packed" heights="110">
File:2021 Toyota Fortuner 4.0 SRV 4x4 (Colombia) front view.png|[[Toyota Fortuner]] (also called SW4), mid-size truck-based SUV
File:Ford Bronco 4-Door.jpg|[[Ford Bronco]], off-road mid-size SUV with a compact two-door version available
File:2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited -- 07-03-2010.jpg|[[Jeep Grand Cherokee]], unibody mid-size SUV
</gallery>

=== Full-size SUV ===
Full-size SUVs are the largest size of commonly produced SUVs. Some, such as the [[Ford Expedition]], and [[Chevrolet Tahoe]], are marketed for their off-road capabilities, and others, such as the [[Lincoln Navigator]] and [[Cadillac Escalade]], are marketed as luxury vehicles. While a few full-size SUVs are built on dedicated platforms; most share their platforms with [[Pickup_truck#Full-size_pickup_truck|full-size pickup truck]]s.

:Examples: {{Cl|Full-size sport utility vehicles|count=yes}}

<gallery mode="packed" heights="110">
File:2022 Jeep Wagoneer Series III in Bright White, Front Left, 12-19-2021.jpg|[[Jeep Wagoneer]], full-size SUV on a pickup truck-based platform
File:Cadillac Escalade GMTT1XX.jpg|[[Cadillac Escalade]], full-size luxury SUV
File:2020 Mercedes-Benz GLS 450, front 1.20.20.jpg|[[Mercedes-Benz GLS]]-class, full-size unibody SUV
</gallery>

=== Extended-length SUV ===
Some North American SUVs are available as a long-bodied version of a full-size SUV, which is called an "extended-length SUV" like the [[Ford Expedition#Expedition EL/Max|Ford Expedition EL]] and the [[Chevrolet Suburban]]. The additional length is used to provide extra space for rear passengers or cargo. As per the full-size SUVs they are based on, most extended-length SUVs are built on dedicated platforms, full-sized pickups ([[Truck_classification#%22Ton%22_rating|1⁄2 ton]]), or heavy-duty pickups (3⁄4 ton or more).

Extended-length SUVs are mostly sold in North America but may also be exported to other markets in small numbers.

<gallery mode="packed" heights="110">
File:2015 GMC Yukon XL SLT, front 2.29.20.jpg|[[GMC Yukon XL]], extended-length SUV
File:2000-04 Ford Excursion.jpg|[[Ford Excursion]], extended-length SUV based on a heavy-duty truck platform 
File:Land Rover Range Rover L405 L China 2016-04-17.jpg|[[Range Rover (L405)|Range Rover L]], extended-length unibody SUV
</gallery>

:Examples: {{Cl|Expanded length sport utility vehicles|count=yes}}

=== Coupe SUV ===
{{main|Coupe SUV}}

Some SUVs or [[Crossover (automobile)|crossovers]] with sloping rear rooflines are marketed as "coupe crossover SUVs" or "coupe SUVs", even though they have four side doors for passenger access to the seats and rear hatches for cargo area access.

== History ==
{{See also|Four-wheel drive#History}}

=== 1930s to 1948 ===
{{multiple image
| direction = vertical
| width= 220
| image1= 1937 Chevrolet Carryall Suburban (front).jpg
| caption1= 1935–1940 [[Chevrolet Suburban#First Generation|Chevrolet Suburban]]
| image2= Газ-61.JPG
| caption2= 1938–1945 [[GAZ-61]]
}}

Just before and during [[World War II]], prototypes and low-volume production examples of military cars with sedan or station wagon-type bodies and rugged, off-road capable four-wheel drive chassis began to appear around the world. These early models included the 1936 [[Kurogane Type 95]] from Japan, the 1938 [[GAZ-61]] from Russia as well as the 1941 [[Volkswagen Kommandeurswagen]] and 1936 [[Opel Geländesportwagen]]<ref>{{cite news|last1=Carlsson|first1=Mårten|url= http://www.klassiker.nu/reportage/opel-terrangsportbil |title=Opel Terrängsportbil |trans-title=Opel Off-Road Car |work=Klassiker |location=Sweden|language=sv|date=26 June 2018|access-date=11 July 2019}}</ref> from Germany. An early predecessor to the design of modern SUVs{{citation needed|date=April 2019|reason=Needs reference to support claimed link}} was the 1940 [[Humber Heavy Utility]], a four-wheel-drive off-road vehicle built on the chassis of the [[Humber Super Snipe]] passenger car.<ref>{{cite web|title=10 Strange Military Vehicles of World War II|url= https://www.wonderslist.com/10-strange-military-vehicles-world-war-ii/ |website=wonderslist.com |access-date=2019-04-10|date=2014-01-30}}</ref>

The most prohibitive initial factors to the potential civilian popularity of an SUV-like car were their cost and the availability of certain critical parts. Before the war, adding four-wheel drive to a car almost doubled its cost.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.fourwheeler.com/features/origins-of-the-jeep-birthing-a-75-year-legend/ |title=Origins Of The Jeep: Birthing A 75-Year Legend|first=Jim |last=Allen |work=Four Wheeler Network |date=2016-01-10|access-date=2019-02-11}}</ref> Compared to a common, rear-wheel drive vehicle, any 4WD (four-wheel drive) needed many essential extra components, including a [[transfer case]], a second differential, and [[constant-velocity joint]]s for the driven front axle—which were expensive due to the precision involved in this required manufacturing gears and other specialized parts. Before World War{{Nbsp|1}}II, these were produced in the United States by only a few specialized firms with limited production capacity. Due to the increase in demand for parts for the war effort, in early 1942 [[Ford Motor Company|Ford]], [[Dodge]], and [[Chevrolet]] joined in fabricating these parts in mass quantities, boosting their production more than 100-fold.<ref name=ThomsonMayo>{{cite book|last1=Thomson|first1=Harry C.|first2=Lida|last2=Mayo|year=2003|title=The Ordnance Department: procurement and supply|series=United States Army in World War II: The technical services|url= https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uiug.30112055126327;view=1up;seq=298;size=125|location=Washington, D.C. |via=United States Army Center of Military History|publication-date=1960|publisher=Office of the Chief of Military History, Dept. of the Army|page=274|ref=ODprocure}}</ref>

An early usage of the term was the 1947 [[Crosley#Model summary|Crosley CC Four]] Sport Utility model, which used a convertible wagon body style and is therefore unrelated to the design of later SUVs.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2014/5/26/1302054/-History-101-The-Crosley-Automobile|title=History 101: The Crosley Automobile |work=Daily KOS|location=U.S.|date=2014-05-26|access-date=2018-02-24}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= http://crosleyautoclub.com/Details/Details_CCs.html|title=Details on Crosley CC Models 1946 - 1948 |work=Crosley Automobile Club |location=U.S.|access-date=2018-02-24}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.classiccarcatalogue.com/CROSSLEY%201948.html|title=Crosley 1948|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180223210336/http://www.classiccarcatalogue.com/CROSSLEY%201948.html|archive-date=2018-02-23 |via=Classic Car Catalogue}}</ref>

=== 1949 to 1970s ===
{{multiple image |direction=vertical |width=220
|image1= International R-110 (1954) extensively restored.JPG
|caption1= 1953 [[International Harvester Travelall#First generation (1953–1957)|International Harvester Travelall]]
|image2= 1962 Willys Jeep Utility Wagon.jpg
|caption2= 1962 [[Willys Jeep Station Wagon]]
|image3= 1979 Subaru 1600 4WD station wagon (21893971703).jpg
|caption3= Subaru Leone 4WD station wagon
|image4= 1981 AMC Eagle Sport station wagon in blue metallic at 2021 PA meet 02of14.jpg
|caption4= AMC Eagle Sport station wagon
}}

Several models of [[Carryall#Automobile|carryall]] wagons began to be offered with four-wheel drive, beginning in 1949 when the [[Willys Jeep Station Wagon]] introduced the option of four-wheel drive.<ref>{{cite web|title=1960 Willys Four-Wheel-Drive Station Wagon: Your (Great-) Grandfather's SUV|url= http://autoweek.com/article/car-news/1960-willys-four-wheel-drive-station-wagon-your-great-grandfathers-suv |work=Autoweek |date=15 February 2007|access-date=2017-10-05}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Greg|title=The Very First Sport Utility Vehicle: The Jeep Station Wagon|url= https://autoroundup.com/index.php/jeep-station-wagon-the-very-first-suv/ |work=Autoroundup |access-date=2017-12-06|archive-date=5 October 2017|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20171005151753/https://autoroundup.com/index.php/jeep-station-wagon-the-very-first-suv/|url-status=dead}}</ref> Four-wheel-drive versions of the [[Chevrolet Suburban#Fourth generation (1955)|Chevrolet Suburban]] were introduced for 1955, followed by the [[International Harvester Travelall#First generation (1953-1957)|International Harvester Travelall]] in 1956 (credited as being the first full-size SUV)<ref name=4Wtravelall/> and the [[Dodge Town Panel and Town Wagon|Power Wagon Town Wagon]] in 1957.<ref name=4Wtravelall>{{cite web|url= http://www.fourwheeler.com/project-vehicles/129-1211-1959-international-harvester-b120-travelall/ |title=1959 International Harvester B-120 Travelall – Four Wheeler Magazine|last=Allen|first=Jim|date=2012-11-01|publisher=Four Wheeler Network|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180107215038/http://www.fourwheeler.com/project-vehicles/129-1211-1959-international-harvester-b120-travelall/|archive-date=2018-01-07|url-status=live|access-date=2018-01-07|authorlink=Jim Allen (4x4 writer)}}</ref><ref name=Kiplinger58>{{cite magazine|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=RwAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA22 |magazine=Changing Times: The Kiplinger Magazine |volume=12|number=2|page=22|date=February 1958 |title=The 1958 Station Wagons|access-date=2018-01-09}}</ref>

Developed as a competitor to the [[Jeep CJ]], the compact [[International Scout]] was introduced in 1961, offering either two- or four-wheel drive and a variety of engine options. The Harvester Scout provided many other options designed to appeal to a wide range of customers for numerous uses as well.<ref>{{cite web|title=Why We Love Them: International Harvester Scout|url= https://bringatrailer.com/2018/05/27/why-we-love-them-international-harvester-scout/ |work=Bring a Trailer|date=2018-05-27|access-date=2019-10-15}}</ref> The 1963 [[Jeep Wagoneer (SJ)]] introduced a sophisticated station wagon body design that was more carlike than any other four-wheel-drive vehicle on the market.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Lewin|first1=Tony|last2=Borroff|first2=Ryan|title=How to Design Cars Like a Pro: A Comprehensive Guide to Car Design from the Top Professionals |publisher=MotorBooks/MBI Publishing |year=2003 |page=191 |isbn=9780760316412}}</ref> The 1967 [[Toyota Land Cruiser|Toyota Land Cruiser FJ55]] station wagon was the first comfort-oriented version of the Land Cruiser off-road vehicle. The two-door [[Chevrolet K5 Blazer]] (and related GMC K5 Jimmy) were introduced for 1969, and the two-door [[International Scout#Scout II|International Scout II]] was introduced in 1971. The first European luxury off-road vehicle was the 1970 [[Range Rover Classic]], which was marketed as a [[luxury car]] for both on-road and off-road usage.<ref>{{cite web|title=1970 Range Rover advertisement|url= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMKZEjrPhvw |url-status=dead|website=YouTube|access-date=2019-04-13|date=2018-02-11|archive-date=18 May 2019|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190518045251/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMKZEjrPhvw&gl=US&hl=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Old Range Rover ad|url= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VmR8HyiWk0 | archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211029/9VmR8HyiWk0| archive-date=2021-10-29|website=YouTube |access-date=2019-04-13 |date=2009-06-13}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

In 1972 [[Subaru Leone]] 4WD wagon was introduced in Japan, which was not designed as an off-road vehicle, but a version of the front-wheel-drive passenger car. Some argue that this was the first SUV.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://outbacktravelaustralia.com.au/buyers-guide-soft-roaders/suv-a-short-history-lesson |title=Subaru Leone 4WD Wagon was the first SUV |website=outbacktravelaustralia.com.au |access-date=30 August 2022}}</ref> It was also classified as a commercial vehicle in the home market, just like later SUVs.<ref name=Catvol22>{{citation|ref = JAMA22 |title= 自動車ガイドブック |trans-title= Automobile Guide Book 1975~76 |language=ja |volume=22 |date=1975-10-31 |publisher=Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association |location=Japan |pages=279–280 | id = 0602-509072-2228 }}</ref>

The first relevant usage of the term SUV was in advertising brochures for the full-sized 1974 [[Jeep Cherokee (SJ)]], which used the wording "sport(s) utility vehicle" as a description for the vehicle.<ref name=74Jeeppage>{{cite web|url= https://www.autopaper.com/images/2214/98959-02.jpg |title=1974 model year Jeep brochure picture – Cherokee page |publisher=Jeep|location=U.S.|year=1973|access-date=2018-01-04}}</ref><ref name=74Jeepfront>{{cite web|url= http://www.lov2xlr8.no/brochures/jeep/74jeep.html |title=1974 model year Jeep Cherokee brochure – front |publisher=Jeep |location=U.S. |year=1973|access-date=2018-01-04}}</ref> The 1966 [[Ford Bronco]] included a "sport utility" model; however, in this case it was used for the two-door pickup truck version.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://image.fourwheeler.com/f/101899557+w600+cr1/011-1966-bronco-specifications.jpg |title=1966 Ford Bronco U-100 4-Wheel Drive models & features brochure|publisher=Ford|location=U.S.|year=1965|access-date=2018-01-04|archive-date=3 January 2018|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180103170428/http://image.fourwheeler.com/f/101899557+w600+cr1/011-1966-bronco-specifications.jpg|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The VAZ-2121 (now designated Lada Niva Legend) was the first mass-market 4WD unibody car in some markets in 1977.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.motorbiscuit.com/the-lada-niva-russias-forgotten-off-road-suv |title= The Lada Niva: Russia's Forgotten Off-Road SUV|date = 25 December 2019}}</ref> The [[AMC Eagle]] introduced in the North American market in 1979, and is often called the first mass-market "[[crossover (automobile)|crossover]]", although that term had not been coined at the time.<ref name="howstuffworks.com">{{cite web|first=Eric |last=Baxter |title=Who coined the term 'crossover vehicle?'|url= https://auto.howstuffworks.com/car-models/crossover-cars/term-crossover-vehicle.htm |website=howstuffworks |date=2011-07-13 |access-date=2021-05-09}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.autotrader.com/car-news/amc-eagle-no-seriously-this-was-the-first-crossover-suv-265257 |title=AMC Eagle: No, Seriously, This Was the First Crossover SUV |first=Aaron |last=Gold |work=Autotrader |date=2017-05-09 |access-date=2021-05-09}}</ref> In contrast to truck or utility-vehicle based designs and the Niva that was purpose-built for rural areas, [[American Motors Corporation]] (AMC) utilized a long-serving existing car platform and designed a new automatic full-time AWD system.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Hunting |first1=Benjamin |title=How Bad Was The Lada Niva, The Ultra-Cheap Alternative Russian 4X4? |url= https://www.drivingline.com/articles/how-bad-was-the-lada-niva-the-ultra-cheap-alternative-russian-4x4/ |work=DrivingLine |date=14 February 2021 |access-date=30 August 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Appel |first=Tom|title=Review Flashback! 1980 AMC Eagle|url= https://blog.consumerguide.com/1980-amc-eagle/ |publisher=The Daily Drive by Consumer Guide |date=2019-05-09 |access-date=2021-05-09}}</ref> It was first with "SUV styling on a raised passenger-car platform combined with AWD."<ref name="Wardlaw"/> ''[[Four Wheeler]]'' magazine described the AMC Eagle as "the beginning of a new generation of cars".<ref>{{cite web|last=Brubaker |first=Ken |title=Firing Order: That Time I Bought an AMC Eagle|url= http://www.fourwheeler.com/features/1812-firing-order-that-time-i-bought-an-amc-eagle/ |publisher=Four Wheeler |date=27 December 2018 |access-date=30 August 2022}}</ref>

{{clear}}

=== 1980s to 1990s ===
{{multiple image
| direction = vertical
| width= 220
| image1 = 1985 Jeep Cherokee (14930366019) (cropped).jpg
| caption1 = 1985 [[Jeep Cherokee (XJ)#1984–1996|Jeep Cherokee (XJ)]]
| image2 = 95-98 Ford Explorer.jpg
| caption2 = 1994–2001 [[Ford Explorer]]
}}

The compact-sized 1984 [[Jeep Cherokee (XJ)]] is often credited as the first SUV in the modern understanding of the term.{{sfn|Bradsher|2002|page=40}} The use of unibody construction was unique at the time for a four-wheel drive and also reduced the weight of the new Cherokee. It also appealed to urban families due to having a more compact size (compared to the full-size Wagoneer and previous generation Cherokee SJ models) as well as a plush interior resembling a station wagon.{{sfn|Bradsher|2002|page=40}} As the new Cherokee became a major sales success, the term "sport utility vehicle" began to be used in the national press for the first time.{{sfn|Bradsher|2002|page=40}} "The advent and immediate success of AMC/Jeep's compact four-door Cherokee turned the truck industry upside down."<ref>{{cite book|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=YjgfZkNUakkC&q=The+advent+and+immediate+success+of+AMC/Jeep's+compact+four-door+Cherokee+turned+the+truck+industry+upside+down |page=18|title=Toyota truck & Land Cruiser owner's bible |first=Moses |last=Ludel |year=1995 |publisher=Robert Bentley |isbn=978-0-8376-0159-5|access-date=2011-06-24}}</ref>

The U.S. [[corporate average fuel economy]] (CAFE) standard was introduced in 1975 to reduce fuel usage, but included relaxed regulations for "light trucks" to avoid businesses paying extra taxes for work vehicles. This created a loophole that manufacturers increasingly exploited since the [[1980s oil glut]] (which started an era of cheap gasoline), whereby SUVs were designed to be classified as light trucks despite their primary use as passenger vehicles to receive tax concessions and less stringent fuel economy requirements.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.tsc.berkeley.edu/newsletter/Summer05-SUVs/history.html |title=From the Battlefield to the Soccer Field|publisher=Traffic Safety Center Online Newsletter|volume=2|issue=4|date=Summer 2005|access-date=2013-01-08|url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120310182737/http://www.tsc.berkeley.edu/newsletter/Summer05-SUVs/history.html |archive-date=2012-03-10}}</ref> This enabled manufacturers to sell more profitable, larger, more polluting vehicles, instead of the smaller, less polluting, less profitable cars, that the CAFE regulations intended.

For example, the [[United States Environmental Protection Agency]] agreed to classify the new Jeep Cherokee as a light truck following lobbying from its manufacturer; the Cherokee was then marketed by the company as a passenger vehicle.{{sfn|Bradsher|2002}} This increased the SUV boom as other manufacturers introduced their own SUVs in response to the compact Cherokee taking sales from their regular cars.{{sfn|Bradsher|2002|page=41}}

In 1994 the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency began classifying vehicles by "market class". For SUVs in 1994 they included three Jeep models, the Cherokee, Grand Cherokee and Wrangler. Two Ford models were the Bronco and the Explorer. Six General Motors models including the GMC Jimmy, the Yukon, and the Suburban 1500; the Chevrolet Suburban 1500, and the Blazer (1500 and S10); the Geo Tracker (Convertible or Van); and finally the Oldsmobile Bravada. Eleven Japanese models classified as SUVs were the Toyota 4Runner and Land Cruiser; the Honda Passport; the Nissan Pathfinder; the Mazda Navajo; the Mitsubishi Montero; the Isuzu Amigo, Rodeo, and Trooper; and the Suzuki Samurai and Sidekick. From Europe the three Land Rover models, the Range Rover, the Defender and the Discovery were classified as SUVs.

By late 1996 ''[[Consumers Digest]]'' magazine was calling the trend an "SUV craze",<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jIlOAQAAIAAJ&q=SUV+craze |title=SUV Craze |magazine=Consumers Digest |year=1996}}</ref> and by 1999 the U.S. sales of SUVs and light trucks for the first time exceeded sales of regular passenger cars.{{R|CCSThrg|p=2}}

{{clear right}}

=== 2000s ===

By 2003, there were 76 million SUVs and light trucks on U.S. roads, representing approximately 35% of the vehicles on the road.<ref name=CCSThrg/>

[[File:GMC--Envoy.jpg|GMC Envoy|thumb]]

Car manufacturers were keen to promote SUV sales over other types of cars due to higher profits in the segment. An SUV could be sold with a profit margin of {{USD|10,000}} or more ({{USD|18,000}} per SUV in the case of the [[Ford Excursion]]), while compact cars were often sold at a loss of a few hundred dollars per car.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://blog.cleveland.com/business/2008/06/as_buyers_shun_suvs_expect_to.html|first=Robert|last=Schoenberger|title=As buyers shun SUVs, expect to pay more for that small car|newspaper=Cleveland Business News|date=2008-06-06|access-date=2010-11-16}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://content.usatoday.com/community/tags/topic.aspx?req=tag&tag=Escape%20SUV |title=Ford idle, for now |work=USA Today |date=2008-10-16|access-date=2010-05-23}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.wsws.org/articles/2000/may2000/jobs-m27.shtml |first=Jerry|last=White|title=GM, Ford idle 1,365 workers-auto industry layoffs signal coming downturn in US economy|publisher=Wsws.org|date=2000-05-27|access-date=2010-11-16}}</ref> As a result, several manufacturing plants were converted from car production to SUV production (such as the General Motors plant in [[Arlington, Texas]] in 1996), and many long-running U.S. sedan models were discontinued.<ref>{{cite news|last=Maynard|first=Micheline|title=End of the Line for Ford Taurus|url= https://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/28/business/28ford.html |newspaper=The New York Times|date=2006-10-28|access-date=2018-03-15}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Final Ford Taurus interview |publisher=ABC News|url= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwuCm8hNXgI | archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211029/CwuCm8hNXgI| archive-date=2021-10-29|date=2007-07-26}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.autoblog.com/2006/10/19/so-long-friend-ford-producing-the-last-taurus-next-week/ |title=So long, friend. Ford producing last Taurus next week |first=John |last=Neff |date=October 19, 2006|publisher=Autoblog |access-date=2007-07-26}}</ref>

From the mid-2000s until 2010, U.S. sales of SUVs and other light trucks experienced a dip due to [[2000s energy crisis|increasing fuel prices]] and then [[Great Recession in the United States|a declining economy]]. From 2008 until 2010, General Motors closed four assembly plants that were producing SUVs and trucks.<ref name=FinancialPost>{{cite news|url= http://www.financialpost.com/related/links/story.html?id=562830 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090216154211/http://www.financialpost.com/related/links/story.html?id=562830 |archive-date=2009-02-16 |title=Caw Girds For War|first=Nicolas|last=Van Praet |work=Financial Post |location=U.S. |date=2008-06-04 |access-date=2019-02-11}}</ref> Sales of SUVs and light trucks sales began to recover in 2010, as fuel prices decreased and the North American economy improved.<ref>{{cite news|last=Healey|first=James|title=Surprise: Sales of big SUVs surging faster than small cars|url= https://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/2010-07-30-suvs30_CV_N.htm |newspaper=USA Today |access-date=2012-04-23 |date=2010-07-30}}</ref>

{{clear}}

=== 2010s to 2020s ===
[[File:2018 Maserati Levante S Automatic 3.0.jpg|thumb|[[Maserati Levante]]]]
[[File:Lamborghini Urus 20180306 Genf 2018.jpg|thumb|right|[[Lamborghini Urus]]]]

In 2019, the [[International Energy Agency]] (IEA) reported that the global number of SUVs and crossovers on the road multiplied by six since 2010—from 35 million to 200 million vehicles, and their market share has grown to 40 percent of worldwide new light-vehicle sales at the end of the decade.<ref>{{cite news|url= https://www.thetimes.com/uk/transport/article/soaring-demand-for-suvs-exacerbates-climate-crisis-kbpj5mpzg |title=Soaring demand for SUVs exacerbates climate crisis|first=Ben|last=Webster|newspaper=[[The Times]]|location=U.K. |date=14 November 2019 |access-date=26 October 2020}}</ref>

By 2013, small and compact SUVs had increased to become the third-largest market segment.<ref name="frost&sullivan"/> Since the early 2000s, new versions have been introduced to appeal to a wider audience, such as [[crossover (automobile)|crossover]]s and other small SUVs.<ref name=Euromon16/> Larger SUVs also remained popular, with sales of General Motors' large SUV models increasing significantly in 2013.<ref>{{cite news|url= http://www.mlive.com/auto/index.ssf/2013/09/2015_gmc_yukon_and_chevy_silve.html |title=2015 GMC Yukon and Chevy Suburban, Tahoe: GM expects new SUVs to continue industry dominance |first=Michael |last=Wayland |work=MLive| location=Michigan, U.S. |date=20 January 2019 |access-date=26 October 2020}}</ref>

In 2015, global sales of SUVs overtook the "lower medium car" segment, to become the largest market segment, accounting for 22.9% of "light vehicle" sales in 2015.<ref name=Euromon16/> The following year, worldwide SUV sales experienced further growth of 22%. The world's fastest-growing SUV markets in 2014–2015 were: China (+{{Hair space}}47.9%), Italy (+{{Hair space}}48.6%), Spain (+{{Hair space}}42%), Portugal (+{{Hair space}}54.8 %), and Thailand (+{{Hair space}}56.4%).<ref name=Euromon16>{{cite web|url= https://blog.euromonitor.com/2016/09/suvs-become-largest-fastest-growing-automotive-segment-2015.html |title=SUVs Become the Largest and Fastest-Growing Automotive Segment in 2015 |date=9 August 2016 |publisher=Euromonitor International |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170806140906/https://blog.euromonitor.com/2016/09/suvs-become-largest-fastest-growing-automotive-segment-2015.html |archive-date=6 August 2017 |url-status=live|access-date=26 October 2020}}</ref> The SUV segment further grew to 26% of the global passenger car market in 2016, then to 36.8% of the market in Q1–Q3 of 2017.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://focus2move.com/world-best-selling-suv/|title=World Best Selling SUV 2016|date=2017-01-25 |publisher=Focus2Move |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170129210539/http://focus2move.com/world-best-selling-suv/ |archive-date=2017-01-29 |access-date=2018-01-06}}</ref><ref name=F2M20171129>{{cite web|url= http://focus2move.com/world-best-selling-suv/ |title=World Best Selling SUV 2017 |date=2017-11-29 |publisher=Focus2Move |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180106130643/http://focus2move.com/world-best-selling-suv/ |archive-date=2018-01-06 |url-status=live |access-date=2018-01-06}}</ref><ref name=Euromon16/>

[[File:1975-_US_vehicle_production_share,_by_vehicle_type.svg|thumb|In the US, share of the SUVs produced grew in the 2010s and keeps growing in the 2020s even faster than in the late 20th century]]

In the U.S. at the end of 2016, sales of SUVs and light-duty trucks had surpassed traditional car sales for the year by over 3 million units.<ref>{{cite news|url= https://online.wsj.com/mdc/public/page/2_3022-autosales.html|title=Auto Sales December 2016 compared to 2015|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170105150248/https://online.wsj.com/mdc/public/page/2_3022-autosales.html |archive-date=5 January 2017 |date=4 January 2017 |newspaper=The Wall Street Journal |access-date=28 October 2020}}</ref> Manufacturers continued to phase out the production of sedan models, replacing them with new models of SUVs.<ref>{{cite news|url= https://www.suvs.com/hyundai-trims-fat-looks-to-add-more-suvs-to-lineup/ |title=Hyundai Trims Fat, Looks to Add More SUVs to Lineup |website=suvs.com |date=17 January 2017 |first=Elizabeth |last=Jeneault |access-date=28 October 2020}}</ref>
[[Luxury car|Luxury]] brands have increasingly introduced SUV or crossover models in the 2010s. For example: [[Rolls-Royce Cullinan]], [[Bentley Bentayga]], [[Aston Martin DBX]], [[Maserati Levante]], [[Lamborghini Urus]], and [[Ferrari Purosangue]].<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/ferrari/30374/ferrari-suv-confirmed-fastest-suv-crown-targeted |title=Ferrari SUV confirmed fastest SUV crown targeted|publisher=Auto Express |first=Jonathan |last=Burn |date=19 March 2018 |access-date=10 November 2019}}</ref>

In 2019 SUVs made up 47.4% of U.S. sales compared to only 22.1% for sedans.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Voelk |first=Tom |date=21 May 2020 |title=Rise of S.U.V.s: Leaving Cars in Their Dust, With No Signs of Slowing |newspaper=The New York Times |url= https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/21/business/suv-sales-best-sellers.html |url-access=limited |access-date=14 September 2020}}</ref>

{{clear right}}

== Motorsport ==
[[File:Bowler Wildcat Range Rover 2007.jpg|thumb|right|2007 [[Bowler Nemesis]]]]
{{See also|Off-road racing}}

SUVs have competed in various off-road racing competitions, such as the [[Dakar Rally]], [[Baja 1000]], [[FIA Cross-Country Rally World Cup]], [[King of the Hammers]], and [[Australasian Safari]]. SUVs have also competed in the [[Trophee Andros]] ice-racing series.

== Nicknames ==
Several derogatory or pejorative terms for SUVs are based on the combination of an affluent suburb name and "tractor", particularly for expensive vehicles from luxury brands. Examples include "[[Toorak]] Tractor" ([[Melbourne]], Australia),<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.australiantraveller.com/australia/the-australian-travel-slang-dictionary/|title=The Australian travel slang dictionary|work=Australian Traveller|location=Australia|date=2015-06-09 |access-date=2018-02-18}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.e-motor.com.au/2018/01/03/evolution-of-the-suv/|title=The evolution of the SUV|work=eMotor|date=2018-01-03|access-date=2018-02-18|archive-date=17 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180217144800/https://www.e-motor.com.au/2018/01/03/evolution-of-the-suv/|url-status=dead}}</ref> "[[Chelsea, London|Chelsea]] Tractor" (London, England)<ref>{{cite news|url= https://www.theguardian.com/news/2004/sep/26/usnews.theobserversuknewspages|title=Terminator guns for the Chelsea Tractor |work=[[The Guardian]]|date=2004-09-26|access-date=2009-07-19|location=London|first=Denis|last=Campbell}}</ref> and "[[Remuera]] Tractor" ([[Auckland]], New Zealand). These terms relate to the theory that four-wheel drive capabilities are not required by affluent SUV owners, and that the SUV is purchased as a status symbol rather than for practical reasons.

In Norway, the term {{lang|no|Børstraktor}} ('Stock Exchange Tractor') serves a similar purpose.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.dn.no/dnBil/article1783421.ece|title=Bloddopet børstraktor|first=Embret|last=Sæter|date=2009-11-26 |publisher=DN.no |language=no|access-date=2012-01-02}}</ref> In the Netherlands, SUVs are sometimes called "P.C. Hooft-tractors" after the exclusive [[P.C. Hooftstraat]] Amsterdam shopping street.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.deondernemer.nl/nieuwsbericht/160/lamborghini-lanceert-ook-pc-hooft-tractor |title=Lamborghini lanceert ook PC Hooft-tractor |language=nl|trans-title=Lamborghini also launches a PC Hooft-tractor |last=Nizet |first=Rik |date=2014-01-14 |work=De Ondernemer ('The Entrepreneur')|publisher=De Persgroep|access-date=2018-02-17}}</ref>

== Commercial SUVs ==
[[File:ACTAS OC vehicle.jpg|right|thumb|[[Toyota Land Cruiser Prado]] used as an ambulance]]

A '''commercial SUV''' is an SUV or [[Crossover (automobile)|crossover]], that is used for commercial purposes. The category is very similar to [[panel trucks]] since the [[Chevrolet Suburban]] (an SUV) had panel truck versions, which were used for commercial purposes.

The first SUV-like vehicle that had commercial versions was the Chevrolet Suburban [[panel truck]]. Panel trucks by American manufacturers were built until the late 1970s.

While panel trucks manufactured by European manufacturers were rare, commercial versions of off-road vehicles were very common, Land Rover manufactured commercial versions of the [[Land Rover series|Land Rover]] and the [[Land Rover Defender|Defender]]. Commercial SUVs are factory-built and most of them are not independent conversions, which means they can be bought from dealerships and showrooms.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Chin |first1=Joshua |title=The Wonderful World Of The Commercial SUV Market |url= https://automacha.com/the-weird-world-of-the-commercial-suv-market/ |work=Automacha |date=27 July 2020 |access-date=25 December 2020}}</ref>

Examples of SUVs used as commercial vehicles in Europe include: [[Citroën C5 Aircross|Citroen C5 Aircross Commercial SUV]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Citroën C5 Aircross Commercial SUV |url= https://business.citroen.ie/commercial-vehicles/converted-vehicles/c5-aircross-commercial-suv.html |publisher=Citroën |location=Ireland |access-date=25 December 2020}}</ref> the [[Land Rover Discovery]], the [[Dacia Duster|Dacia Duster Flika]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Dacia Duster Fiskal light commercial vehicle debuts in Austria |url= https://drivemag.com/news/dacia-duster-fiskal-would-rather-be-a-van-than-an-suv |first=Dan |last=Mihalascu |work=Drivemag |location=Romania |date=21 May 2018 |access-date=25 December 2020}}</ref> and the [[Mitsubishi Pajero]].

== See also ==
{{Commons category|SUVs}}

{{Div col|colwidth=30em}}
* [[Criticism of sport utility vehicles]]
* [[Esuvee]]
* [[Four-wheel drive]]
* [[Off-road vehicle]]
* [[List of sport utility vehicles]]
* [[Recreational vehicle]]
* [[Crossover city car]] (A-segment SUV)
{{div col end}}

==References==
===Notes===
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}

===Bibliography===
<!-- last updated October 2021 -->
<!--====General====-->
{{refbegin}}
* {{Bradsher-HaM}}
* {{Chapman-SUV}}
* {{Henshaw-UGSUV}}
* {{cite book |last1=Jacobs |first1=David H. |title=Sport Utility Vehicles: The Off-Road Revolution |date=1998 |publisher=Todtri Book Publishers |location=New York |isbn=1577170857}}
{{refend}}

{{Automobile configuration}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Sport utility vehicles| ]]
[[Category:Car classifications]]
[[Category:Light trucks]]
[[Category:Carryalls]]