Sport utility vehicle

A sport utility vehicle, or SUV, is a type of passenger vehicle which combines the load-hauling and versatility of a pickup truck with the passenger-carrying space of a van or station wagon. Most SUVs are designed with a roughly square cross-section, an engine compartment, a combined passenger and cargo compartment, and no dedicated trunk. Most mid-size and full-size SUVs have 5 or more seats, and a cargo area directly behind the last row of seats. Mini SUVs, such as the Chevrolet Blazer, may have fewer seats.

It is known in some countries as an off-roader or four wheel drive, often abbreviated to 4WD or 4x4, and pronounced "four-by-four". More recently, SUVs designed primarily for driving on roads have grown in popularity. A new category, the crossover SUV uses car components for lighter weight and better fuel economy.

Design characteristics

SUVs were derived from light trucks platforms, but several SUVs and crossover SUVs are based on platforms of unibody construction.^*.

SUVs typically have high seating and most can be equipped with four wheel drive, providing an advantage in low traction environments. The design also allows for a large engine compartment, which allows for a wide variety of engine choices, both gasoline and diesel.

History

Sport utility vehicles were originally descended from commercial and military vehicles such as the Jeep and Land Rover. Keith Bradsher. High and Mighty: SUVs--The World's Most Dangerous Vehicles and How They Got That Way. Published by PublicAffairs. ISBN 1586482033 SUVs have been popular for many years with rural buyers due to their off-road capabilities. The Jeep Wagoneer and the Ford Bronco were early SUV examples, followed by the Chevrolet Blazer and the GMC Jimmy. International Harvester also sold SUV's, notably the three-door International Scout and the five-door International Travelall.

In the last 25 years, and even more in the last decade, SUVs have become popular with urban buyers. Consequently, more modern SUVs often come with more luxury features and some crossover SUVs, such as the Nissan Murano, BMW X5, the Acura MDX, and the Toyota RAV4, have adopted lower ride heights and utilize unibody construction to better accommodate their use for on-road driving.

Popularity

SUVs became popular in the United States, Canada, and Australia in the 1990s and early 2000s for a variety of reasons. Buyers became drawn to their large cabins, higher ride height, and perceived safety when in the market for a new vehicle. Additionally, most full-size SUVs have far greater towing capacities than conventional cars, allowing owners to tow RVs, trailers, and boats with relative ease, adding to the utilitarian image.

A large growth in SUV popularity and sales is due to advertisement targeted towards women. Women constitute more than half of SUV drivers, and SUVs are one of the most popular vehicle choice of women in the United States.

In Australia, a unique situation resulted in the growth in popularity of SUVs. There, SUVs have a much lower import duty compared with cars. This means a typical SUV has a significant price advantage over a similarly-equipped, imported sedan. However, in recent years, the import duty has been lowered for cars as well, and is currently at 10% (compared with 5% for SUVs).

A common reason for SUV popularity cited by owners was their perceived safety advantage in a collision with regular cars. For instance, the higher profile allows for better visability and anticipation of danger. The enhanced weight helped reduce the risk of injury by a third in children under the age of 16, though the roll-over fatality risk is much higher in SUVs than cars negating the advantage. Some of their success could also be attributed to their "utilitarian" image. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, vehicle manufacturers sold SUVs very effectively, with per-vehicle profits substantially higher than other automobiles. Historically, their simpler designs often made the vehicles cheaper to make than comparably-priced cars.

In the mid 2000s, however, their popularity has waned, due to higher gasoline prices, rollover accident fatalities and higher relative pollution. As of the spring of 2006, some of the larger SUVs in the United States now require over 100USD per fillup, making their everyday use more cost-prohibitive. Current model SUVs (crossovers) take into account that 98% of SUV owners never offroad. As such, SUVs now have lower ground clearance and suspension designed primarily for paved road usage.

However, full-sized SUVs such as the Chevrolet Suburban and Ford Expedition have replaced old-fashioned full-size station wagons and bear similar features; such as 3-row seating, and bench seating in the front, etc.

SUVs in remote areas

SUVs are often used in places such as the Australian Outback, Africa, the Middle East, Alaska, Northern Canada and most of Asia, which have limited paved roads and require the vehicle to have all-terrain handling, increased range, and storage capacity. The low availablity of spare parts and the need to carry out repairs quickly allow model vehicles with the bare minimum of electric and hydraulic systems to predominate. Typical examples are the Land Rover and the Toyota Land Cruiser.

SUVs targeted for use in civilization have traditionally originated from their more rugged all-terrain counterparts. For example the Hummer H1 is derived from the HMMWV, originally developed for the US Armed Forces.

Other names

Outside of North America and India, these vehicles are known simply as four-wheel-drives, often abbreviated to "4WD" or "4x4". They are classified as cars in countries such as the UK where the U.S. distinction between cars and 'light trucks' is not used. In Australia, the automotive industry and press have recently adopted the term SUV in place of four wheel drive in the description of vehicles and market segments. "Utility" or "ute" refers to 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.

SUVs in recreation and motorsport

SUVs are also used to explore off-road places otherwise unreachable by other vehicles. In Australia, China, Europe, South Africa and the United States 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.

With the increasing urbanisation of the world, SUVs are also used by those seeking unmodified landscapes and isolation, especially in nations with large wilderness areas lacking extensive road networks. Since most roads are meant to directly connect locations, many natural features of interest are inaccessible or not visible to most vehicles. The ability to travel without having to use roads is part of the appeal of SUV ownership due to a sense of independence this invokes in many people.

SUVs also allow drivers to connect on an aesthetic level with the physical environment - by allowing owners to go off road, SUVs promote a greater value being applied to wilderness areas, an attachment difficult to gain through reading or simply seeing things on television. SUV clubs often promote this ideal and a commercial manifestation of this can be seen in the number of tourism operators dependent on SUVs for their activities, Australia being a strong example.

Criticism

The explosive growth in SUV ownership has attracted a large amount of criticism, mainly of the risks to other road users and the environment, but also on the basis that the perceived benefits to the vehicle owner are illusory or exaggerated.

Safety

Safety is a common point of concern. The majority of modern automobiles are constructed by a method called unibody or monocoque construction, whereby a steel body shell absorbs the impacts of collisions in crumple zones. However, many SUVs are constructed in the body-on-frame style of light trucks. Their heavier weight, height, and stiffer construction (due to body-on-frame design) can hurt other drivers, and their higher center of gravity increases the risk of death for SUV passengers from rollover. Some SUVs, however, have designs based on unibody construction, including the Ford Escape/Mazda Tribute, Saturn VUE, Chevrolet Equinox, Lexus RX's, Hyundai Santa Fe, Lada Niva, and Acura MDX. The Jeep Cherokee/Liberty (1984 on) and Grand Cherokee (1993 on) have even used unibody construction from their beginning.

Rollover

The high center of gravity of SUVs makes them more prone to rollover accidents (especially if the vehicle leaves the road or in emergency manoeuvres) than lower vehicles. In recent years, Consumer Reports has found a few SUVs unacceptable due to their rollover risk. This was also dramatically demonstrated in one Fifth Gear show using a Range Rover. Modern SUVs are usually designed to prevent rollovers on flat surfaces. Average heights for:

Family sedans 57.3 in
Minivans 70.2 in
SUVs 70.7 in

In 2004, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released results of a study that indicated that drivers of SUVs were 11% more likely to die in an accident than people in cars. These figures may be confounded by variables other than the vehicles' inherent safety, for example the documented tendency for SUVs to be driven more recklessly (most sensationally perhaps, the 1996 finding that SUV drivers are more likely to drive drunk seatbelts. [http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/studies/LTV/" target="_blank" >^*

Risk to other drivers

Because of SUVs' greater height and weight, it is contended that SUVs can affect traffic safety. This height and weight, while perhaps giving an advantage to occupants inside the vehicle, often poses a risk to drivers of smaller vehicles in multi-vehicle accidents.

SUV safety concerns are compounded by a perception among some consumers that SUVs are safer for their drivers than standard autos. According to G. C. Rapaille, a psychological consultant to automakers (as cited in Gladwell, 2004), many consumers feel safer in SUVs simply because their ride height makes "passengers higher and dominate and look down (sic). That you can look down other people is psychologically a very powerful notion." This and the massive size and weight of SUVs may lead to consumers' false perception of safety (Gladwell, 2004). ^*.

In Europe, effective 2006, the fitting of bull bars, also known as grill guards and push bars to vehicles such as 4x4s and SUVs is illegal. Conversely, grill guards are widely used in Australia and the United States to protect against property damage during wildlife crashes.

Risk to pedestrians

An SUV hitting a pedestrian is about twice as likely to kill as a car at equal speed. This is in part because the collision of an SUV with a pedestrian tends to impact the chest, while the collision of a car with a pedestrian tends to impact the knees. . This data is however primarily for the American market, where SUVs are ladder-framed-chassis vehicles (like the Lincoln Navigator or Chevrolet Tahoe), and should not necessarily be applied to modern crossovers, like the BMW X5, Volkswagen Touareg or even the Range Rover, as these cars (and many other modern crossovers) are monocoques, and have no chassis.

Recent improvements

Manufacturers have added car-level bumpers to reduce the possibility of the other vehicle(s) sliding under the SUV in a collision. SUV's have therefore become somewhat safer for other road users in recent years.

Marketing practices

Under criticism are the marketing techniques used to sell SUVs. Advertisers and manufacturers alike have been assailed for greenwashing. Critics have cited SUV commercials that show the product being driven through a wilderness area, even as most SUVs are never driven off-road. Even the model names have been criticized for connoting exotic wilderness areas (Chevrolet Tahoe, Dodge Durango, GMC Denali) and ruggedness (Ford Explorer, Chevrolet Blazer, Ford Expedition, Jeep Commander) that have little to do with the typical daily use of an SUV (i.e., transportation on paved roads).

Tax benefits

In the United States, the so-called 'SUV subsidy' (Section 179 depreciation deduction) allows small-business owners to deduct up to $25,000 of the cost of a vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating of over 6000 lb (2722 kg) from their income tax calculation. Small-business owners may deduct $10,610 of the cost of a passenger automobile. This provides a slight tax incentive for businesses to purchase an SUV. However, the cost of both SUVs and automobiles is fully deductible over future years using normal depreciation. In previous years, this deduction reached $120,000 and was the subject of much criticism. When the vehicle is eventually sold, however, the depreciation taken must be recaptured as income, subject to taxation. These SUV's include the Cadillac Escalade, GMC Yukon Denali and other high end SUV's on the market today.

Fuel economy

The recent popularity of SUVs is one reason the U.S. population consumes more gasoline than in previous years. SUVs are as a class much less fuel efficient than comparable passenger vehicles. The main reason is that SUVs are classified by the U.S. government as light trucks, and thus are subject to the less strict light truck standard under the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) regulations. The CAFE requirement for light trucks is an average of 20.7 mpg (US), versus 27.5 mpg (US) for passenger cars (8.6 and 11.4 km/L, respectively).

As there is little incentive to change the design, SUVs have numerous fuel-inefficient features. The high profile of SUVs increases wind resistance. Heavier suspensions and larger engines increase vehicle weight. Some SUVs also often come with tires designed for off-road traction rather than low rolling resistance.

The low fuel economy is caused by

high parasitic masses (compared to the average load) causing high energy demand in transitional operation (in the cities) ${P_{accel}= m_{vehicle} \cdot a \cdot v }$ where P stands for power, $m_{vehicle}$ for the vehicle mass, ${a}$ for acceleration and ${v}$ for the vehicle velocity.
high cross-sectional area causing very high drag losses especially when driven at high speed ${P_{drag}= A_{cross} \cdot cw_{vehicle} \cdot \frac {v_{air}^3 \rho_{air}} {2} }$ where ${P}$ stands for the power, ${A_{cross}}$ for the cross-sectional area of the vehicle, ${\rho_{air}}$ for the density of the air and ${v_{air}}$ for the relative velocity of the air (incl. wind)
high rolling resistance due to all-terrain tires (even worse if low pressure is needed offroad) and high vehicle mass driving the rolling resistance ${P_{roll}= \mu_{roll} \cdot m_{vehicle} \cdot v }$ where ${\mu_{roll}}$ stands for the rolling resistance factor and ${m_{vehicle}}$ for the vehicle mass.

Average data for vehicle types sold in the U.S.A. (source theautochannel.com):

Type	Width	Height	Curb weight	Combined fuel economy
SUVs	73.5in 187cm	70.7in 180cm	4242 lb 1924 kg	19.19 mpg 12.25 l/100 km
Minivans	75.9in 193cm	70.2in 178cm	4275 lb 1939 kg	20.36 mpg 11.55 l/100 km
Family sedans	70.3in 179cm	57.3in 146	3144 lb 1426 kg	26.94 mpg 8.73 l/100 km
Honda Insight	66.7in 169cm	53.3in 135cm	1850 lb 839 kg	63 mpg 3.73 l/100 km

Drag resistance for SUVs is at least (same drag coefficient) 30% higher and the acceleration force has to be 35% bigger compared to family sedans if we use the height and width figures from the above table. This gives a 40% higher fuel consumption (even for parallel hybrid electric SUVs) using the given formula for the power demand.

Addressing fuel efficiency, several manufacturers now offer hybrid gas/electric models of SUVs, offering improved fuel economy over conventionally powered SUVs. With some hybrid SUV models, the added power generated from the hybrid systems is used some times to give vehicles added performance (increased power).

A point which is not covered in most fuel calculations is the air conditioning. The increased wind screen surface for the larger vehicles leads to much higher energy demand for cooling in summer or in hot climates. So fuel consumption in real time operation will be much higher than specified.

Pollution

Because SUVs typically use much more fuel than cars, they generate much higher volumes of pollutants (particularly carbon dioxide) into the atmosphere, thus leading to higher levels of global warming. In the U.S., light trucks and SUVs are held to a less-strict pollution control standard than are passenger cars. Intense political lobbying from the auto industry has served to maintain the relatively poor SUV mileage and pollution control standards.

Compact SUVs like the Toyota Rav-4 and Honda CR-V are offered with diesel engines in Europe, and with these fitted, it can be argued that they have lower emissions than some cars. An example would be the Toyota Rav-4 2.2d (140 bhp) that has carbon dioxide emissions of 173g/km, compared to a Mercedes A-class 2.0T, with carbon dioxide emissions of 192g/km. However, when making a fair comparison between two diesels, the A-class 2.0 CDI has CO2 emissions of 141g/km, with the 1.6 CDI unit achieving 128 g/km, hence the argument is invalid. The Rav-4 2.0 petrol achieves 211 g/km.

Weight

The high gross vehicle weight rating of some full-size SUVs (like the Ford Excursion and Hummer H2) technically limits their use on certain roads. Rural bridges often have a 6000 lb (2700 kg) weight limit , and some full-size SUVs surpass this limit when loaded. These laws are rarely enforced for SUVs, however, since these vehicles are seen as passenger vehicles instead of commercial trucks.

Anti-SUV vandalism

In April 2005, William Cottrell, a 24-year-old American postgraduate student at Caltech was sentenced to more than eight years in federal prison and $3.5 million in fines for firebombing or vandalizing 125 SUVs at dealerships and a few homes in 2003. Two of his associates fled the country to avoid prosecution. [http://brianoconnor.typepad.com/animal_crackers/2004/08/william_cottrel.html

Slang

In southern England, SUVs are often referred to in derogatory terms as "soft roaders" or "Chelsea tractors", due to their popularity among affluent people living in central London areas such as Chelsea. In the UK they are occasionally known as jeeps or Land Rovers no matter what make they actually are, although the increasing prevalence of these vehicles in recent years has decreased this colloquial usage. In New Zealand they are occasionally called "Fendalton tractors" or "Remuera tractors" after the higher priced suburbs in Christchurch and Auckland respectively. In Australia, Victoria, they are sometimes referred to as "Toorak Tractors", though this is rare. In Norway, they are known as 'bourse tractors' due to yuppie stereotypes. In The Netherlands they are often called "PC Hooft-tractoren" after Amsterdam's most exclusive shopping street. SUVs are also criticized in the Netherlands for similar reasons, and some environmentalists are pushing local governments to deny SUV users parking spaces.

Notes and references

Gladwell, M. (2004, January 12). Big and bad. The New Yorker, LXXIX, 28-30. ^*

Motor Trend. (Complete information on the Motor Trend reference is unavailable. However, the article was Motor Trend's announcement of the Lexus RX 300 as the 1999 SUV of the Year.)

Additional reading

Keith Bradsher. High and Mighty: SUVs--The World's Most Dangerous Vehicles and How They Got That Way. Published by PublicAffairs. ISBN 1586482033
Adam Penenberg. Tragic Indifference : One Man's Battle with the Auto Industry over the Dangers of SUVs. Published by HarperBusiness. ISBN 0060090588

External links

SUVs actually illegal on many residential roads
SUVs and oil dependency
The psychology of SUV purchasing. Includes a comparison of vehicles and their 'deaths inside vehicle' and 'deaths caused/outside of vehicle' rates.
Information on hybrid SUV's
SEMA- specialty equipment marketing association

Car body styles | SUVs

Sports Utility Vehicle | SUV | Sport utility vehicle | Sport Utility Vehicle | Sportos haszonjármu" | Sports Utility Vehicle | SUV | SUV | SUV | Sport utility vehicle | SUV

Gourt Home::Gourt :: Sport utility vehicle