Sport utility vehicle

This article is licensed under theGNU Free Documentation License.It uses material from the Wikipedia article 'Sport utility vehicle' (click for full Wikipedia text)

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 minivan or station wagon. Most SUVs are designed with a roughly square cross section (geometry), 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 Jeep Wrangler, 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 Automobile components for lighter weight and better Fuel efficiency.

Design characteristics

SUVs were traditionally derived from light truck automobile platform, but several SUVs and crossover SUVs are based on the automobile platform of a minivan, station wagon or sedan http://www.consumersearch.com/www/automotive/suv-reviews/fullstory.html. SUVs are typically as tall as a minivan, with a roughly square cross-section. SUVs typically have higher seating than a station wagon and can be equipped with four wheel drive, providing an advantage in low traction (engineering) environments. The design also allows for a large engine compartment, and many SUVs have large V6 or V8 engines. In countries where fuel is more expensive, buyers often opt for diesel engines, which have better fuel efficiency, and given that Diesel itself is often much cheaper than gasoline.

History

Sport utility vehicles were originally descended from commercial and military vehicles such as the Jeep and Land Rover. In fact, that many SUVs have a squarish design is partially due to the Jeep, which was manufactured that way. 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 BMW X5, the Acura MDX, and the Toyota RAV4, have adopted lower ride heights and car chassis 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 Car 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, Trailer (vehicle), 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 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). The most common reason for SUV popularity cited by owners was their safety advantage in a Motor-vehicle collision with regular cars. Some of their success is also due to their image, a substantial factor for many buyers. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, vehicle manufacturers sold the image of SUVs very 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 more expensive than sedans of similar quality and features. In the mid 2000s, however, their popularity has waned, due to higher gasoline prices after a period of low prices when SUVs became popular. Current model SUVs take into account that 98% of SUV owners never Off-road. As such, SUVs now have Ride height and suspension designed primarily for paved road usage.

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, the Toyota Land Cruiser and the Lada Niva. 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 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 United Kingdom 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 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.

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

Automobile safety is a 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. However, many SUVs are constructed in in the body-on-frame style of light trucks, which can lead to a lower level of safety when not designed well. Often, their heavier weight, height, and stiffer construction (due to body-on-frame design) hurts other drivers and pedestrians, while their higher center of gravity increases the risk of death for the SUV passengers from rollover. However, some SUVs have designs based on unibody construction, including the Ford Escape/Mazda Tribute, Lexus RX 330 and RX 400h, 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.

Risk to other drivers

Because of SUVs' greater height and weight, and often usage of body-on-frame constructions, it is documented many SUVs hurt public road safety by increasing risk for people both inside and outside the SUV (in other vehicles or on foot). This is due to the SUVs' weight and height advantage in multi-vehicle accidents (resulting in much fewer deaths in the vehicle, but increasing risks for others) being counterbalanced by their raised center of gravity. In 2004, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released figures showing that drivers of SUVs were 11% more likely to die in an accident than people in cars. http://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/17/business/17auto.html?ex=1250481600&en=ab39f99261bb8c6e&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland 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 http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/studies/LTV/). SUV drivers are also statistically less likely to wear their seatbelts. http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/studies/LTV/ The considerable weight of full-size 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. Bradsher, page needed This is one of the motivations for the development of side-curtain airbags in standard autos. 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 Land Rover 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 SUV safety concerns are compounded by a perception among some consumers that SUVs are safer for their drivers than standard autos. According to Clotaire 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). http://www.gladwell.com/2004/2004_01_12_a_suv.html. In Europe, effective 2006, the fitting of bull bars, also known as grill guards to vehicles such as 4x4s and SUVs is illegal.

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 size and design of the SUVs leads to a restricted driver's view of the area immediately surrounding the vehicle. The back view is particularly restricted. 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. This is still rather new technology and is not fool-proof. Aftermarket offerings also exist for interested buyers.

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

Also under criticism are the marketing techniques used to sell SUVs. Advertisers and manufacturers alike have been assailed for appealing to the basest instincts of customers to entice them into buying such vehicles. 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 (Tahoe, Durango) and ruggedness (Explorer, Blazer, Expedition, Commander) that have nothing to do with the SUVs most common use - as a suburban station wagon. (Columnist Molly Ivins, a critic of SUVs, once singled out the Chevrolet Suburban for being the only SUV that's honestly named.) SUV haters have come up with their own epithets for the vehicles, such as 'station wagons on steroids,' and comedian Bill Maher has ridiculed them as 'f

• -you-mobiles.'

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.

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 miles per gallon (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 efficiency features. The high profile of SUVs increases Drag (physics). Heavier suspensions and larger engines increase vehicle weight. Some SUVs also often come with tires designed for off-road traction rather than low Rolling friction. 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) $=\; m\_\; cdot\; a\; cdot\; v\; \}$ where P stands for power, $m\_$ for the vehicle mass, $$ for acceleration and $$ for the vehicle velocity.
• high cross-sectional area causing very high drag losses especially when driven at high speed $=\; A\_\; cdot\; cw\_\; cdot\; frac\; ^3\; ho\_\}\; \}$ where $$ stands for the power, $\}$ for the cross-sectional area of the vehicle, $\}$ for the density of the air and $\}$ 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 $=\; mu\_\; cdot\; m\_\; cdot\; v\; \}$ where $\}$ stands for the rolling resistance factor and $\}$ for the vehicle mass. Average data for vehicle types sold in the U.S.A. (source theautochannel.com): 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.

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.

Protests

Anti-SUV vandalism

In April 2005, William Cottrell, a 24-year-old American postgraduate student at California Institute of Technology 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.http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7550964/ 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, London 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, New Zealand and Auckland respectively. In Australia, particularly Victoria (Australia), they are referred to as 'Toorak Tractors'. 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.

See also

• Four wheel drive
• Car classification
• Compact SUV
• Crossover SUV
• Esuvee
• Mini SUV
• RV
• Station wagon
• List of sport utility vehicles

Notes and references

• Gladwell, M. (2004, January 12). Big and bad.  The New Yorker ,  LXXIX , 28-30. http://www.gladwell.com/2004/2004_01_12_a_suv.html* 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 -->
  
  This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.It uses material from the Wikipedia article 'Sport utility vehicle' (click for full Wikipedia text) Hide