It’s like using the word “who” where it should be “whom.” Who chose whom for the team? Not who chose who for the team? The second sentence may be grammatically incorrect, but we still get the gist. As with the terms 4WD and AWD, some people simply misapply the terms SUVs and crossovers. crossovers other than people either not knowing the difference or not caring. There is really no gray area between SUVs vs. Crossovers tend to provide a more comfy ride, better fuel economy and a safer passenger environment. No one, though, seems to know exactly where it originated.Ī crossover SUV (CUV) is a multi-passenger vehicle with car-like unibody construction. But it is a bridge between cars and SUVs. We get the term crossover from, well, we’re not sure. Vehicles like the Kia Sorento and the Hyundai Santa Fe are perfect examples of the crossover with their unibody body construction. Not only is it more cost efficient to build a car this way, unibody construction is lighter and offers more opportunity for built-in safety benefits like crumple zones. As manufacturing evolved, particularly in the age of computer technology, automakers began building the body and frame as a single structure. “Unibody” is shorthand for unit-body or unitized-body construction. While SUVs use body-on-frame construction, attaching a separate body to a ladder frame, crossovers use a unibody architecture. On the fringes, however, they are mostly the same. crossover water aside, at their foundation, SUVs and crossovers are also different animals. There are many similarities, but they are different. In this regard, all lions are cats, but all cats aren’t lions. We have done so here in an effort to shorten a headline or two. You will hear people, even people who know better, referring to a crossover as an SUV. RELATED STORY: 2WD, 4WD or AWD: Which Is Best for You? What Is a Crossover SUV?
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When equipped with a system to put power to all four wheels, they use 4-wheel drive (4WD or 4X4), rather than all-wheel drive (AWD) like the Ford Explorer or Kia Telluride. In short, an SUV is a multi-passenger sport-utility vehicle with body-on-frame construction with a body mounted to a ladder frame.įurthering the SUV definition, these utility vehicles are always rear-wheel drive (RWD). Ford bases its Ford Expedition on the Ford F-150. Chevy bases the Chevy Tahoe and Chevy Suburban on the Chevy Silverado. At the root of most SUVs lurks a pickup truck. These vehicles also often have higher ground clearance. It makes for a more rigid platform, which increases hauling and towing capabilities. As are some SUVs like the Toyota 4Runner and Nissan Armada. Trucks like the Ram 1500 and Ford F-150 are still body-on-frame construction. Body-on-frame.īody-on-frame construction isn’t used much anymore beyond commercial applications.
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An entirely separate unit, the steel bodywork is then mounted to the frame. On the frame rests the engine and the rest of the drivetrain. To the frame, the suspension and wheels are attached. Early on, virtually all vehicles were constructed this way with a rigid frame or chassis as the foundation. To truly understand what SUVs are requires understanding their body-on-frame architecture. The term “SUV” stands for sport-utility vehicle.
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It was the 1969 Chevy Blazer, however, that ignited the SUV boom continuing today. The Chevy Suburban has been around since the 1930s and the Willy’s Jeep Station Wagon arrived on the scene the mid 1940s. SUVs have been with us longer than crossovers.