Crossover (automobile)

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2009 Dodge Journey, CUV

Crossover is a marketing term for 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]

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 call them crossovers.^[4]

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."^[5] 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]

The broad spectrum of CUVs or crossovers includes:

• Compact CUVs: e.g., Audi Q5, BMW X3, Ford Escape, Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4, Nissan Rogue
• Mid-sized CUVs: e.g., Honda Pilot, Toyota Highlander, Chevy Equinox, Lexus RX 350, Acura MDX, Nissan Murano
• Full-sized CUVs: e.g., Audi Q7, Buick Enclave/Saturn Outlook/, GMC Acadia, Ford Flex, Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
• Station wagon- or hatchback-derived CUVs: e.g., Subaru Forester, Ford Freestyle, Toyota Venza
• Minivan-like CUVs: e.g., Dodge Journey, Mazda 5 (Mazda Premacy)

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.^[6]

In 1998 the Lexus RX 300 became the first luxury crossover, ushering in the luxury SUV segment, followed shortly by the Mercedes-Benz M-Class and BMW X5.^[7] These offerings heralded the shift from truck-based body-on-frame SUVs to sedan-based crossovers that would come to fruition in the late 2000s, particularly as the German automakers had few if any light truck platforms to base their luxury SUVs. While there are also truck-based luxury SUVs such as the Lincoln Navigator, luxury crossovers soon dominated the market due to their smoother ride and better handling. Due to the demand for luxury crossovers in the US, several marques such as BMW and Lexus produce such vehicles in North America, in contrast to passenger cars in their lineup which are mostly imported.

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 SUV's. Recently the Mercedes-Benz M-Class and Jeep Grand Cherokee SUV's which share a platform switched from body-on-frame to unibody which adds a rear independent suspension arrangement. The redesigned Dodge Durango and Ford Explorer will also switch to this layout. GAYOT.com lists the Top 10 Crossover Vehicles,^[8]featuring the different varieties that are available today.

CUV models

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

See also

• Car classification
• Compact SUV
• large MPV
• Mini SUV
• MPV
• Recreational vehicle
• Sport utility vehicle
• Station wagon

References

External links

• Crossovers news