SUV

File:Jeep Wrangler 1989 400x400 .jpg 1989 Jeep Wrangler File:Subaru forrester.jpg 2001 Subaru Forester (a crossover SUV) 2003 Hummer H2

A sport utility vehicle (SUV) or off-roader, known in some countries as a four wheel drive, (often abbreviated to 4WD or 4x4 - pronounced "four-by-four"), is a type of passenger vehicle which combines the load-hauling and passenger-carrying capacity of a large station wagon or minivan with features designed for off-road driving. In more recent years, the term has also grown to encompass vehicles with similar size and style that are marketed as sport utility vehicles, but which do not actually incorporate substantial off-road features. A new category, the crossover SUV uses car components for lighter weight and better economy. Some who dislike this trend of giving this SUV label to vehicles which are neither sporty nor used for extra utility may use the definition "square ugly vehicle" instead.

SUV design characteristics

SUVs were traditionally derived from light truck platforms, but have developed to have the general shape of a station wagon. SUVs are typically taller, though, with a roughly square cross section. In contrast, station wagons are typically wider than they are tall, and minivans are taller than they are wide.

Typical to a light truck platform, SUVs have higher seating than a station wagon and a suspension designed for giving ground clearance for off-road driving. In higher-end models, all four wheels can provide motion ("drive"), unlike the majority of automobiles in which only the front or rear wheels provide drive. The design also allows for a large engine compartment, and many SUVs have large V-6 or V-8 engines. In countries where fuel is more expensive, buyers often opt for diesel engines, which have better fuel efficiency (and diesel fuel itself is often much cheaper).

Outside North America and India

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, "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. In southern England, SUVs, excluding farm vehicles such as Land Rovers, are often referred to in derogatory terms as "Soft-Roaders" or "Chelsea tractors", coined by London Mayor, Ken Livingstone. More commonly in the UK they are known as jeeps or Land Rovers no matter what make they actually are. In New Zealand they are occasionally called "Fendalton tractors" or "Remuera tractors" after the higher priced suburbs in Christchurch and Auckland respectively. In Australia, particularly Victoria, they are referred to as "Toorak Tractors". In The Netherlands they are often called "PC Hooft-tractoren" after Amsterdam's most exclusive shopping street. SUV's are criticized in the Netherlands for being too large as well and some environmentalists are pushing local governments to deny SUV users parking spaces. SUVs do look large but are not necessarily larger than other vehicles. Common station wagons used in the Netherlands such as the Volvo, Passat and Ford Focus take up more parking space than a small SUV.

Development of the SUV

VW Touareg

Descended from commercial and military vehicles such as the Jeep and Land Rover, they have been popular for many years with rural buyers due to their off-road abilities. However, in the last 25 years, and even more in the last decade, they have become popular with urban buyers. Consequently, more modern SUVs often come laden with luxury features and some crossover SUVs, such as the BMW X5, the Acura MDX, and the Toyota RAV4, have adopted lower ride heights and more car-like suspension settings to better reflect their typical use (overwhelmingly, for normal on-road driving). These newer SUVs have more in common with modern mini-vans than older SUVs, as such the term SUV now follows more closely with Sport Utility Van than Sport Utility Vehicle.

SUVs in recreation and motorsport

Some private SUV owners do indeed take their vehicles off the road to explore places otherwise unreachable by vehicle or for the sheer enjoyment of the driving. In Australia, China, Europe, South Africa and the U.S. at least, many 4WD clubs have been formed for this purpose.

Modified SUVs also take part in races, most famously in the Paris-Dakar Rally, and the Australian Safari.

SUV popularity

SUVs have become popular in US for a variety of reasons. Owners point to their large, comfortable cabins (which approach the passenger and equipment-carrying capabilities of minivans), safety, and the recreational possibilities of the vehicles. Additionally, most large SUVs have far greater towing capacities than conventional cars, and in the case of trailerable boats have superior abilities to launch and retrieve those boats from slippery boat ramps (and, indeed, from many places where no made ramp exists). Critics argue that only a fraction of SUVs will be used for heavy duty work (and many SUVs have surprisingly low load capacities) that can't be done with a regular car.

Undoubtedly, though, some of their success is due to their rugged, powerful image, a substantial factor for many people who might more logically choose a more economical and cheaper minivan or station wagon. Vehicle manufacturers have been able to sell the image of SUVs effectively, with per-vehicle profits substantially higher than other automobiles. Historically, their simple designs and often outdated technology (by passenger car standards) often made the vehicles cheaper to make than comparably-priced cars. Still, SUVs are, in general, more expensive than sedans. The public's dislike of truck-like characteristics in SUVs has brought about the more-refined current crop of SUVs. Newer SUVs take into account the prevailing usage patterns where the SUV is not expected to see any significant offroad usage. As such, newer SUVs have lower ground clearance and more comfortable suspensions.

One argument for SUVs recent popularity is cheap gasoline. After accounting for inflation, gas prices in the 1990s were cheaper on average than in any decade since the invention of the automobile. If gas prices continue to rise to the point where fuel efficiency affects average consumer vehicle purchasing, SUVs could lose some of their popularity. However, SUVs are already oriented towards the more affluent buyers, many of whom can afford an increase in fuel costs.

The most common reason for SUV popularity cited by the critics is that they confer a major advantage in a collision with regular cars, even if it greatly endangers the occupants of the other car.

According to the Cornell study, questioned masculinity is compensated with a higher preference to buy SUVs, at least for young males.

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.

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 $102,000 and was the subject of much criticism.

Safety

A Ford Excursion SUV next to a Toyota Camry for scale. (Excursion right; Camry left)

Safety is one common point of criticism. 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. Many SUVs, on the other hand, are constructed in the traditional manner of light trucks: body-on-frame, which when negligently designed can provide a comparatively lower level of safety. However, some SUVs have designs based on unibody construction: the Ford Escape, Lexus RX 330 (Motor Trend), RX 400h, Mazda Tribute, and Acura MDX are some examples. In fact, the Jeep Cherokee/Liberty (1984+) and Grand Cherokee (1993+) have used unibody construction from the start, and have hardly sacrificed ruggedness or offroad prowess in the process.

The high center of gravity of SUVs makes them more prone to rollover accidents (especially in emergency manoeuvres) than lower vehicles. In recent years, Consumer Reports has found a few unacceptable SUVs due to their rollover risk. This was also dramatically demonstrated in one Top Gear show using a Range Rover.

SUV safety concerns are compounded by a perception among some consumers that SUVs are safer for their drivers than standard autos; this perception is generally incorrect, although SUVs might provide more safety in a few situations. 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 "[their passengers] higher and dominate and look down (sic). That you can look down 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). Big and Bad

In 2004, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released figures showing that drivers of SUVs were 11 percent more likely to die in an accident than people in cars. [1] 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 [2]). SUV drivers are also statistically less likely to wear their seatbelts. [3] The tendency to drive SUVs recklessly may be linked back to the perception that they provide superior driver protection.

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. The greater mass, and therefore momentum, of the average SUV relative to the average car is probably also a factor.

Also the size and design of SUVs leads to a restricted driver's view of the area immediately surrounding the vehicle. The back view is particularly restricted. Young children and cars behind the SUV may be completely invisible. While it's a non-issue on the road, this makes backing out of a stall or a driveway more difficult and dangerous. There are numerous cases where SUV owners accidentally backed over their children and pets, or hit cars going down the parking aisle. Quite a few manufacturers try to remedy the problem by offering rear-view cameras or simple sensors that sound the alarm if the car is about to hit something. Unfortunately, those tend to be pricey options and only a fraction of SUVs have them installed. Aftermarket offerings also exist for interested buyers.

SUV drivers do however have a better overview on parked cars and cars in front of them and can spot pedestrians earlier and respond faster.

Risk to other drivers

Rush hour on the Golden State Freeway in Los Angeles. Note how the view is blocked by large SUVs to the front and to the right. If the photographer had been tailgating, there would have been a high risk of a car accident.

The size and design of SUVs can often be a hazard to other drivers. SUVs are often taller than other passenger vehicles, thus limiting another driver's vision of traffic in front of an SUV, and contributing to possible accidents involving sudden stops. This hazard is made worse by the nearly opaque window tinting which is found on the majority of SUVs currently sold. Of course SUV's are not alone in posing this danger, as other vehicles such as vans and minivans similarly block drivers vision.

Also, the height of SUV headlights has been cause for complaint and distraction by drivers who find themselves dazzled at night by oncoming SUVs even when their lights are on low-beam settings.

The considerable weight of the larger SUVs (such as the Chevrolet Suburban and the Ford Excursion) makes collisions with other, smaller cars much less dangerous for the SUV and much more dangerous for the car. The higher ride and other design characteristics of many SUVs may also lead to greater damage to smaller crash partner cars. These mass and design dangers are known as crash incompatibility issues in the crash testing industry, and are a topic of active research. The most notable statistic in SUV design crash incompatibility is an increase in fatalities when an SUV strikes the head of a passenger or driver in a side-impact collision. This is one of the chief motivations for the development of side-curtain airbags in standard autos.

In Europe, from 2006 the fitting of bull bars, also known as grill guards or in Australia, roo bars, to vehicles such as 4x4s and SUVs will be illegal.

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 (11.4 and 8.6 L/100 km, respectively).

As there is little incentive to change the design, SUVs have numerous fuel-inefficient features. The high profile of SUVs increases wind resistance. The heavy suspension and large engines increases vehicle weight. SUVs also often come with tires designed for off-road traction rather than low rolling resistance. The more car-like SUVs tend to have a somewhat lower profile and better road performance tires, but often still have large, fuel-inefficient engines.

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 crossectional area causing very high drag losses especially when driven at high speed ${F_{drag}=A_{cross}\cdot cw_{vehicle}\cdot {\frac {v_{air}^{2}\rho _{air}}{2}}}$ where F stands for the force, ${A_{cross}}$ for the crossectional 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 ${F_{roll}=\mu _{roll}\cdot m_{vehicle}}$ where ${\mu _{roll}}$ stands for the rolling resistance factor and ${m_{vehicle}}$ for the vehicle mass.

It must be stressed that diesel-engined versions tend to have far better fuel economy - checking a few offical figures shows that a small diesel 4x4 has better touring economy than a new Mini Cooper S or many large saloon cars.

Weight

The high gross vehicle weight rating of some larger SUVs (including the Ford Excursion or Hummer H2) technically limits their use on certain roads. Rural bridges often have a 6000 lb (2700 kg) weight limit, and some large 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. Other vehicles can weigh as much as an SUV: the Dodge Grand Caravan exceeds the 6000 lb mark by 650 lb (295 kg), and the Honda Odyssey, at 5952 lb (2700 kg), and Kia Sedona, at 5959 lb (2703 kg), are close. For comparison, a midsize sedan such as the Honda Accord weighs 4080 lb (1851 kg) fully loaded. These weights are all for vehicles fully loaded to GVWR, and most owners rarely reach full capacity. A 1999 Jeep Cherokee for instance has a curb (empty) weight of 3300 lb (1500  kg), while a very popular car like the Volkswagen Golf diesel has a curb weight of 3100 lb (1400 kg).

Image

Some criticism of SUVs is based purely on their image as expensive, upscale status symbols for the (relatively) wealthy; and their stereotypically yuppie owners/drivers as arrogant, rude, and wasteful show-offs.

Others criticize SUVs – particularly luxury-minded top-line models – because they come with electronic gadgets such as automotive navigation systems; power seats with memory settings, in-seat heaters and massage-type seat lumbar control; in-vehicle DVD players with flatscreen monitors; and vehicle stability control. Many critics see these features as simply unnecessary for normal commuting. Other points of criticism: the gadgets may become troublesome (adding to repair bills), they add to the overall weight of the vehicle, the luxury features are simply toys for the rich and provide additional opportunities for the owner to flaunt himself/herself, and – in some instances – serve as distractions to drivers and causing an accident risk.

Violence

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.[4] Two of his associates fled the country to avoid prosecution. [5]

Some have also said that many drivers of SUVs engage in road rage.

Response to criticisms

Manufacturers are attempting to improve the SUV to address these criticisms. The most recent generation of SUVs have been designed to reduce the rollover risk with standard vehicle stability control. Manufacturers have added car-level bumpers to reduce "submarining" in collisions, and a full compliment of airbags are common. Therefore, SUVs have become somewhat safer in recent years.

The smaller crossover SUV models are essentially station wagons or minivans with taller wheels and bodywork, and are not much worse than their counterparts in terms of fuel economy.

Low-energy vehicles being developed will bring down the fleets fuel consumption. Variants with low consumptions as low as 3l/100km (78 MPG) like the VW Lupo disappeared from the market because they were too expensive for such a small car. Cars from the sixties have proven that it is possible to build a 5-seater with 625kg[6] and the rising fuel price shifts the balance towards the use of lighter but more expensive materials (titanium, carbon fibre, magnesium).

SUVs in other Areas

There are a number of places where an SUV has key capability and can be a necessity. Areas such as the Australian Outback, Africa, the Middle East and most of Asia can have limited blacktop roads and require the vehicle to be capable of carrying additional resources to ensure the safety of the driver and passengers. Carrying of two spare tires, water and substantial fuel reserves plus passengers and cargo over variable terrain is something an SUV does very well and in the mixed environment of graded and blacktop road surfaces it is unequalled.

The Hummer was specifically developed for the US Armed Forces and the Hummer H1 and H2 are SUV derivatives.

Hybrid technology

The 2005 Ford Escape Hybrid is the first hybrid SUV, with a hybrid version of the Lexus RX 400h also available. A hybrid version of the Toyota Highlander will be available in 2006, with hybrid versions of the Mercury and Mazda in the pipeline. While some manufacturers are using added power generated from the hybrid systems to give vehicles added performance, these hybrid SUVs still offer equal or better fuel efficiency than their conventionally-powered counterparts.

See also

• Four wheel drive

• Car classification
• Compact SUV
• Crossover SUV
• Esuvee
• RV
• Station wagon

References

• Gladwell, M. (2004, January 12). Big and bad. The New Yorker, LXXIX, 28-30. [7]
• 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

• "High and Mighty: The Dangerous Rise of the Suv" Keith Bradsher. Published by PublicAffairs. ISBN: 1586482033
• "Tragic Indifference : One Man's Battle with the Auto Industry over the Dangers of SUVs" Adam Penenberg. Published by HarperBusiness. ISBN: 0060090588

External links

• Anti-SUV Movement wants SUVs banned
• SUVs actually illegal on many residential roads
• SUVs and oil dependency