Crossover (automobile)

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2009 Dodge Journey, CUV

Crossover describes a vehicle that derives from a car platform while borrowing features from a traditional Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV).

While body on frame construction and light truck platforms are used to build traditional SUVs, crossovers use a car's monocoque/unibody platform construction. The crossover combines, in highly variable degrees, the design features such as tall interior packaging, high H-point seating, high ground-clearance, or all-wheel-drive capability of the SUV—with design features from an automobile such as independent rear suspension, car-like handling, interior roominess and fuel economy. Crossovers typically are designed for only light off-road capability, if any at all.[1]

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[edit] Origin

2007 Saturn Outlook XR

The term crossover began as a marketing term,[2] and a 2008 CNNMoney article indicated that "many consumers can't tell the difference between an SUV and a crossover."[1] A January, 2008 Wall Street Journal article called the CUVs, "wagons that look like sport utility vehicles but ride like cars,"[3] To avoid referring to their vehicles as station wagons, some nameplates will instead describe them as a crossover.[4] "Crossover utility vehicle" (CUV) or "crossover SUV" are frequent terms for these such vehicles, particularly if they are styled like and retain the capabilities of traditional SUVs. "Sport wagon" or "tall wagons" often refer to derivatives of station wagons and compact hatchbacks, respectively.[5] "Crossover" is often used for a vehicle that does not appear like a traditional SUV or passenger car, such as the Toyota Venza. Manufacturers have also used traditional monikers like "truck" and "SUV" for their crossovers.[6]

While the segment has notable historical antecedents, it had come into strong visibility in the US by 2006, when crossover sales "made up more than 50% of the overall SUV market."[7] Sales in the crossover market segment increased in 2007 by 16%,[3] Notably in the US, the crossover segment is one of the segments in the passenger vehicle market where import brands lead domestic brands, as domestic manufacturers were slow to switch from their emphasis on light truck-based SUVs, and as foreign automakers developed crossovers particularly for the US market, as an alternative to station wagons which are unpopular there.[1] The segment has strong appeal to aging baby boomers.[1] Most crossover vehicles released in the early 2000s largely resembled traditional SUVs or wagons. However, there has been crossovers released that emphasize sportiness, albeit at the cost of utility, such as the Infiniti FX and BMW X6.[8][9]

The European MPV or large MPV may broadly resemble the crossover, including vehicles such as the Mercedes-Benz R-Class, VW Golf Plus, Ford Kuga, Renault Koleos and Ford S-Max. Notably, during the development of the Dodge Journey CUV, Dodge benchmarked the S-Max.[10]

The broad spectrum of CUVs or crossovers includes:

In 1998 the Lexus RX 300 entered the market with a premium-priced, Toyota Camry sedan-based crossover. This was followed by other sedan-based competitors including the BMW X5 and Acura MDX.[11] These vehicles were a shift from the traditional truck-based body-on-frame SUVs to numerous new sedan-based crossovers that were marketed in all price ranges. Due to the demand for these types of vehicles in the US, several marques such as BMW and Toyota produce crossovers in North America, in contrast to passenger cars in their lineup which are mostly imported.

In 2000 an early non-luxury midsize crossover SUV the Toyota Highlander was introduced, shortly later other similar crossovers such as the Honda Pilot, Nissan Murano and Chevrolet Equinox expanded the segment.[citation needed]

In 2006, the Toyota RAV4 became the first compact crossover SUV to add a 7-seat version during the redesign, previously 7-passenger seating was available only on the midsize SUVs. The Mercedes-Benz M-Class switched from body-on-frame to unibody. The redesigned Ford Explorer and Jeep Grand Cherokee planned for the 2011 model year will become crossovers.[12]

[edit] CUV models

A short list of current crossovers with their platform genealogy follows (similar vehicles are grouped together):

Model(s) Platform
Acura MDX Honda Odyssey
Acura RDX Honda CRV
Acura ZDX Honda Accord
Audi Q7 Audi A6
Audi Q5/Audi Allroad Quattro Audi A4
Škoda Octavia Scout Škoda Octavia Combi
BMW X3 BMW E46 (BMW 3 Series)
BMW X5 BMW 5 series
BMW X6 BMW X5
Buick Rendezvous
Cadillac SRX Sigma platform (Cadillac CTS/STS)
Chevrolet Captiva/Saturn Vue GM Theta platform
Chevrolet Equinox
Chrysler Pacifica Chrysler CS platform (Chrysler Town and Country/Dodge Caravan)
Ford Ecosport Ford B3 platform (Ford Fiesta)
Ford Escape
Ford Flex Ford D4 platform
Ford Escape/Mazda Tribute/Mercury Mariner Ford CD2 platform
Ford Explorer (5th generation)
Ford Taurus X Ford D3 platform (Ford Five Hundred/Taurus)
Ford Territory Ford Falcon
Dodge Journey Dodge Avenger
Buick Enclave/Chevrolet Traverse/GMC Acadia/Saturn Outlook GM Lambda platform
Holden Adventra/HSV Avalanche Holden Commodore
Holden Crewman/HSV Avalanche XUV Holden Commodore
Honda CR-V Honda Civic
Honda Element Honda Civic
Honda Pilot Honda Odyssey
Hyundai Tucson/Kia Sportage (2nd) Hyundai Elantra
Hyundai Santa Fe/Hyundai Veracruz Hyundai Sonata
Infiniti EX Nissan FM platform
Infiniti FX Nissan FM platform (Infiniti G35)
Jeep Compass/Jeep Patriot Mitsubishi GS platform
Jeep Grand Cherokee (fourth generation)
Lincoln MKX/Ford Edge Ford CD3 platform (Lincoln Zephyr/MKZ, Ford Fusion)
Mazda CX-7 Mazda 6
Mazda CX-9 Mazda 6
Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class Mercedes-Benz W204
Mercedes-Benz M-Class (second generation)
Mitsubishi Endeavor Mitsubishi Galant
Mitsubishi Outlander Mitsubishi Lancer
Nissan Murano Nissan Altima
Nissan Rogue Nissan Sentra
Nissan X-Trail Nissan Note
Peugeot 3008 Peugeot 308
Subaru Forester Subaru Impreza
Subaru Outback Subaru Legacy
Subaru Tribeca Subaru Legacy
Suzuki SX4 Suzuki Alto
Suzuki Grand Vitara/XL7 Suzuki SX4 Sedan
Toyota Kluger/Highlander Toyota Camry
Toyota Harrier/Lexus RX Toyota Kluger/Highlander
Toyota RAV4 Toyota Corolla
Volkswagen Tiguan Volkswagen Group A platform (Volkswagen Golf)
Volvo XC60 Volvo P24 platform
Volvo XC70 Volvo P24 platform
Volvo XC90 Volvo P2 platform (Volvo S80)

[edit] See also

[edit] References

[edit] External links