Crossover (automobile)
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A crossover (or CUV: crossover utility vehicle) is a vehicle built on a car platform and combining, in highly variable degrees, features of a sport utility vehicle (SUV) with features from a passenger vehicle, especially those of a station wagon or hatchback.
Using the unibody construction typical of passenger vehicles instead of the body-on-frame platform used in light trucks and the original SUVs, the crossover combines SUV design features such as tall interior packaging, high H-point seating, high center of gravity, high ground-clearance or all-wheel-drive capability — with design features from an automobile such as a passenger vehicle's platform, independent rear suspension, car-like handling and superior fuel economy.
A crossover may borrow features from a station wagon or hatchback, such as the two-box design of a shared passenger/cargo volume with rear access via a third or fifth door, a liftgate — and flexibility to allow configurations that favor either passenger or cargo volume, e.g., fold-down rear seats.
Most crossovers produced by mass market auto manufacturers are front wheel drive. However, luxury carmakers such as BMW, Infiniti, and Mercedes (which also includes a Jeep WK2 derivative underpinning the 2011-present Grand Cherokee) use the rear wheel drive setup. In both cases, all-wheel drive is usally an option and often standard equipment depending on the market. Crossovers are typically designed for only light off-road capability, if any at all.[1]
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Origin [edit]
The first car later to be recognized as crossover SUV was the French Matra-Simca Rancho, introduced in 1977, two years before the demise of its owner Chrysler Europe, after which it was rebranded to Talbot-Matra Rancho until its production ended in 1984. It looked like a 4x4 off-road vehicle, but was in fact based on the pick-up version of the Simca 1100 family saloon and had only front wheel drive.[2]
The crossover term was used as a market segment description and one of the reasons Chrysler purchased American Motors Corporation (AMC) in 1987. The automaker acquired the famous Jeep brand and vehicles from AMC to add to its successful minivans, giving Chrysler a "solid position in the so-called 'crossover' market, which is somewhere 'between' cars and trucks and the fastest-growing segment in the entire industry."[3]
Some sources indicate the term crossover began as a marketing term,[4] and a 2008 CNNMoney article indicated that "many consumers cannot tell the difference between an SUV and a crossover."[1] A January 2008 Wall Street Journal blog article called crossovers "wagons that look like sport utility vehicles but ride like cars."[5]
Though crossovers have become a defined market, they are not an entirely new concept. The Willys-Overland Jeepster convertible coupe offered many of the features that define the crossover.[6] A more direct crossover antecedent is the AMC Eagle, a vehicle that "pioneered the crossover SUV" category.[7] As a precursor to today's models, AMC's "vehicles worked well and sold well" and the "surviving Eagles to look like the "early man" version of a CUV, sort of a missing link of the car world."[8]
The market segment spans a wide range of vehicles. In some cases, manufacturers have marketed vehicles as crossovers simply to avoid calling them station wagons, or have produced crossovers mainly because station wagons have fallen out of favor with buyers in a particular region such as the United States.[9][2]
While crossover vehicles released in the early-2000s resembled traditional SUVs or wagons, others have prioritized sportiness over utility—such as the Infiniti FX and BMW X6.[10][11]
By 2006, the segment came into strong visibility in the U.S., when crossover sales "made up more than 50% of the overall SUV market."[12] Sales increased in 2007 by 16%.[5] For Audi, the Audi Q5 has become their second best-selling vehicle in the United States marketafter the Audi A4 sedan.[3] Around half of Lexus' sales volume come from its SUVs since the late 1990s, the big majority of which is the Lexus RX crossover.[4]
In the U.S., domestic manufacturers were slow to switch from their emphasis on light truck-based SUVs, and foreign automakers developed crossovers targeting the U.S. market, as an alternative to station wagons that are unpopular there. But by the 2010 model year, domestic automakers had quickly caught up.[1] The segment has strong appeal to aging baby boomers.[1]
Crossover examples [edit]
The broad spectrum of CUVs or crossovers includes:
- Mini CUVs: e.g., Ford EcoSport, Fiat Sedici, Honda HR-V, Nissan Juke, Mini Countryman, Opel Mokka
- Compact CUVs: e.g., Audi Q5, BMW X1, BMW X3, Mahindra XUV500,, Ford Escape/Mercury Mariner/Mazda Tribute, Mazda CX-5, Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4, Nissan X-Trail, Acura RDX, Volvo XC60, Hyundai Tucson, Kia Sportage, Mitsubishi Outlander Sport, Land Rover Freelander, Infiniti EX, Skoda Yeti, Subaru Forester, SsangYong Korando, Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class, Volkswagen Tiguan, Land Rover Range Rover Evoque[5]
- Mid-sized CUVs: e.g., Acura ZDX, BMW X5/BMW X6, Chevy Equinox/GMC Terrain, Ford Edge/Lincoln MKX, Lexus RX, Mercedes-Benz M-Class, Nissan Murano, Cadillac SRX (2010-), Saab 9-4X, Mazda CX-7, Mitsubishi Outlander, Infiniti FX, Hyundai Santa Fe/Kia Sorento (2011-), Volkswagen Touareg/Porsche Cayenne, Toyota Highlander
- Full-sized CUVs: e.g., Acura MDX, Audi Q7, Dodge Durango (2011 -), Ford Flex, Ford Explorer (2011-), Honda Pilot, Lincoln MKT, Mazda CX-9, Mercedes-Benz GL-Class, Mercedes-Benz R-Class (all of which offer three rows of seating for 7 or 8 passengers as standard[13])
- Mid-sized sedan-derived CUVs: e.g., Honda Accord Crosstour, Toyota Venza, AMC Eagle, Audi A6 allroad quattro, Saab 9-3X, Subaru Outback, Volvo XC70 (the last five being directly based upon Station wagons)
- Compact sedan-derived hatchback CUVs: e.g., Toyota Matrix/Pontiac Vibe,[14] Subaru Impreza hatchback
- Minivan-like CUVs: e.g., Dodge Journey, Tata Aria, Buick Enclave/Chevrolet Traverse/GMC Acadia/Saturn Outlook (defunct), Ford C-MAX, Mazda 5
- Semi-offroaders: e.g., Fiat Palio Adventure, Ford Fiesta Trail, Nissan Livina X-Gear, Jeep Compass, Jeep Grand Cherokee (2005-), Peugeot Escapade, etc.
The European MPV or large MPV may broadly resemble the crossover, including vehicles such as the Mercedes-Benz R-Class, Ford Kuga, Opel/Vauxhall Antara and Ford S-Max. During the development of the Dodge Journey CUV, Dodge benchmarked several European vehicles.[15]
A short list of current crossovers with their platform genealogy (similar vehicles are grouped together):
See also [edit]
References [edit]
- ^ a b c d Isidore, Chris (9 January 2006). "GM and Ford's New Cross to Bear". CNN Money.com. Retrieved 8 August 2010.
- ^ Classic Matra Rancho buying guide The Telegraph, 20 Jan 2010
- ^ Steffenpp, Christopher J. (1989). "The Auto Industry Today: Tough Times Demand Change". In Arnesen, Peter Judd. The Auto industry ahead: who's driving?. Center for Japanese Studies, The University of Michigan. p. 47. ISBN 978-0-939512-36-2. Retrieved 19 July 2012.
- ^ "Smart Buying Essentials What is a Crossover Vehicle?". Intellichoice.com. Archived from the original on 17 July 2011. Retrieved 19 July 2012.
- ^ a b White, Joseph B. (14 January 2008). "Crossover Market Is Thinly Sliced". The Wall Street Journal Blogs. Retrieved 19 July 2012.
- ^ George, Patrick E. (13 July 2011). "Have automakers tried crossover vehicles in the past?". HowStuffWorks.com. Retrieved 19 July 2012.
- ^ Sherman, Don (February 2001). "All-Wheel-Drive Revisited: AMC's 1980 Eagle pioneered the cross-over SUV". Automotive Industries. Retrieved 8 August 2010.
- ^ Baxter, Eric (13 July 2011). "Who coined the term crossover vehicle?". HowStuffWorks.com. Retrieved 19 June 2012.
- ^ "Definition of Crossover Utility Vehicle". Usedcars.about.com. 2009-09-17. Retrieved 2009-10-13.
- ^ "Inifiti FX35 Review (MY 2010)". Edmunds.com. 2009. Retrieved 2010-01-21.
- ^ Thomas, David (2008-09-15). "2009 Infiniti FX35". cars.com. Retrieved 2010-01-21.
- ^ Carty, Sharon Silke (3 May 2006). "Crossover vehicles pass up SUVs on road to growing sales". USAtoday. Retrieved 8 August 2010.
- ^ [1] Note that the BMW X5 and Toyota RAV4 have offered optional third-row seating for a total of 7 passengers, but they are usually regarded as mid-size and compact CUVs, respectively and the majority of sales of the above are two-row 5-seaters. The Acura MDX and Audi Q7 previously had base trim levels without third-row seating. The Toyota Highlander slots in the mid-range of the lineup with the light truck-based Toyota 4Runner competing in the full-size SUV slot.
- ^ Huffman, John (13 January 2002). "A sleek "CUV" with youthful imagination - 2003 Toyota Matrix". The Car Connection. Archived from the original on 8 March 2008. Retrieved 19 July 2012.
- ^ Couture, Justin (3 February 2008). "2009 Dodge Journey Road Test". Car Reviews.com. Archived from the original on 7 July 2011. Retrieved 19 July 2012.
- ^ a b c d e f g Haines, Steven (2008). The Product Manager's Desk Reference. McGraw-Hill. pp. 13–14. ISBN 978-0-07-159134-8. Retrieved 2010-01-29.
