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Compact sport utility vehicle

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Suzuki Escudo/Vitara 4-door (1998–2005)
Suzuki Escudo/Vitara 4-door (1998–2005)

A compact sport utility vehicle or compact SUV is a class of small sport utility vehicles that is larger than mini SUVs, but smaller than mid-size SUVs. However, there is no official definition of the size or dimensions for this market segment. Moreover, some manufacturers have marketed the same model name on different sized vehicles over time. The most common distinction between versions of crossover automobiles and compact-sized SUVs is that the first is based on a car-based unibody platform, while an SUV uses the unibody with welded-in ladder frame or body-on-frame chassis commonly used on trucks.[1] However, manufacturers and common usage has blurred the two terms.[2] Many recent vehicles labelled as compact SUVs are technically compact crossovers and are built on the platform of a compact/C-segment passenger car, while some models may be based on a mid-size car (D-segment) or a B-segment platform.

The modern compact SUV market segment began in 1983.[3] According to a Car and Driver review in 2019, the compact crossover and SUV market segment is popular because the vehicles "are right-sized, right-priced, and blend carlike refinement with a touch of utility."[4]

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Crossover (automobile)

Crossover (automobile)

A crossover, crossover SUV, or crossover utility vehicle (CUV) is a type of automobile with an increased ride height that is built on unibody chassis construction shared with passenger cars, as opposed to traditional sport utility vehicles (SUV) which are built on a body-on-frame chassis construction similar to pickup trucks.

Compact car

Compact car

Compact car is a vehicle size class — predominantly used in North America — that sits between subcompact cars and mid-size cars. "Small family car" is a British term and a part of the C-segment in the European car classification. However, prior to the downsizing of the United States car industry in the 1970s and 1980s, larger vehicles with wheelbases up to 110 in (2.79 m) were considered "compact cars" in the United States.

Body-on-frame

Body-on-frame

Body-on-frame, also known as ladder frame construction, is a common motor vehicle construction method, whereby a separate body or coach is mounted on a strong and relatively rigid vehicle frame or chassis that carries the powertrain and to which the wheels and their suspension, brakes, and steering are mounted. While this was the original method of building automobiles, body-on-frame construction is now used mainly for heavy trucks, pickups, and predominantly large SUVs.

C-segment

C-segment

The C-segment is the 3rd category of the European segments for passenger cars and is described as "medium cars". It is equivalent to the Euro NCAP "small family car" size class, and the compact car category in the United States.

Mid-size car

Mid-size car

Mid-size—also known as intermediate—is a vehicle size class which originated in the United States and is used for cars larger than compact cars and smaller than full-size cars. "Large family car" is a UK term and a part of the D-segment in the European car classification. Mid-size cars are manufactured in a variety of body styles, including sedans, coupes, station wagons, hatchbacks, and convertibles. Compact executive cars can also fall under the mid-size category.

D-segment

D-segment

The D-segment is the 4th category of the European segments for passenger cars, and is described as "large cars".

B-segment

B-segment

The B-segment is the second smallest of the European segments for passenger cars between the A-segment and C-segment, and commonly described as "small cars". The B-segment is the largest segment in Europe by volume, accounting for 20 percent of total car sales in 2020 according to JATO Dynamics.

Car and Driver

Car and Driver

Car and Driver is an American automotive enthusiast magazine. In 2006 its total circulation was 1.23 million. It is owned by Hearst Magazines, who purchased it from its prior owner Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S. in 2011. It was founded as Sports Cars Illustrated. The magazine is based in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Background

United States

A two-door Ford Bronco II
A two-door Ford Bronco II
Jeep Cherokee (XJ), the first purpose-designed unibody compact SUV with 4-doors
Jeep Cherokee (XJ), the first purpose-designed unibody compact SUV with 4-doors

Small-sized utility-type vehicles have been available since the advent of the first automobiles. The modern use of the "compact sport utility" category can be traced in the United States marketplace to the 1982-1994 Chevrolet S-10 Blazer and the 1984-1990 Ford Bronco II because they are considered compact-sized SUVs that were built on a compact truck chassis.[5] They were marketed alongside the Chevrolet K5 Blazer and Ford Bronco full-size 4x4 vehicles. The compact two-door 1983 Chevrolet S-10 Blazer featured four-wheel drive with a four-cylinder engine as standard and Ford brought out the similar Bronco II model.[6] Both were body-on-frame designs based on each automaker's small pickup trucks, the Chevrolet S-10 and Ford Ranger respectively.[7] The general dimensions, drive train, and cab details were identical to those of the compact truck with differences in the interior only aft of the doors.[8] Both were station wagon-like vehicles with seating for four adults and an enclosed cargo area with a rear hatchback.

American Motors made the full-sized Jeep Wagoneer (SJ) SUV using a truck chassis, but developed a completely new and slim unibody Jeep Cherokee (XJ) line of two- and four-door compact sport wagons that were marketed starting in late 1983.[9] These are often considered the first compact American four-door sport utility vehicles.[10][11] While the competing SUVs were adaptations of compact pickup trucks, Jeep did not have one, so they designed an SUV first; starting with a four-door version and featuring a very strong, lightweight unibody construction like most passenger cars, as well as with a lightweight "link/coil" suspension design that was praised by the automotive press for its superior ride, performance, and handling.[12] The original Jeep XJ combined a passenger car comfort with a rugged chassis for ease of driving in difficult conditions, and established the modern SUV market segment. Automobile magazine called it a "masterpiece" of automotive design with room for five passengers and their cargo.[13]

According to Bob Lutz, an executive at several car companies, American Motors (AMC) "invented an all-new automotive segment—the compact sport utility vehicle" with the original compact Jeep Cherokee two- and four-door models.[14] The compact Cherokee's design, appearance, and sales popularity spawned imitators as other automakers noticed that the Jeep XJ models began replacing regular cars.[15] Compact SUVs have become an alternative to the minivans for families who need cargo space.[16] While almost unchanged since its introduction, Cherokee XJ production continued through 2005 in China, and was one of the best-selling compact SUVs in the world.[17] There were over 2.8 million Jeep XJs built in the U.S. between 1984 and 2001.[18] According to a 1995 review by the American Automobile Association, AMC's "clever marketing helped create the present demand for compact sport-utility vehicles."[19]

Japan

The Japanese 1988 Suzuki Vitara is also considered to be a compact SUV.[20][21]

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Chevrolet S-10 Blazer

Chevrolet S-10 Blazer

The Chevrolet (S-10) Blazer and its badge engineered GMC (S-15) Jimmy counterpart are compact/mid-size SUVs manufactured and marketed by Chevrolet and GMC from the 1983 through 2005 model years, over two generations – until the early 1990s alongside these brands' full-size SUVs with near identical nameplates, but lacking removable hardtops. From the 1992 model year, GMC's big Jimmy had become the 'Yukon', and so the S-15 prefix was dropped on the smaller GMC Jimmy. Starting with the 1995 second generation, the large Blazer was rebranded as the Chevrolet Tahoe, and these mid-size SUVs were simply launched as the 'all-new Chevrolet Blazer'.

Ford Bronco II

Ford Bronco II

The Ford Bronco II is a compact sport utility vehicle (SUV) that was manufactured by the American manufacturer Ford. Closely matching the first-generation Ford Bronco in size, the Bronco II was sold for the 1984 to 1990 model years, alongside the third and fourth generations of Ford's full-size Bronco. Derived from the Ford Ranger compact pickup truck, the Bronco II was produced in a single generation as a three-door wagon only, competing against the three-door version of the Jeep Cherokee introduced the same year, and the compact Chevrolet S-10 Blazer and GMC S-15 Jimmy which GM had launched as smaller, similar-named SUVs alongside their full-size Blazer and Jimmy a year prior.

Jeep Cherokee (XJ)

Jeep Cherokee (XJ)

The Jeep Cherokee (XJ) is a sport utility vehicle manufactured and marketed across a single generation by Jeep in the United States from 1983 through 2001 — and globally through 2014. It was available in two- or four-door, five-passenger, front engine, rear- or four-wheel drive configurations.

Chevrolet K5 Blazer

Chevrolet K5 Blazer

The Chevrolet K5 Blazer is a full-size sport-utility vehicle that was built by General Motors. GM's smallest full-size SUV, it is part of the Chevrolet C/K truck family. Introduced to the Chevrolet line for the 1969 model year, the K5 Blazer was replaced for 1995 by the Chevrolet Tahoe. The third generation was simply called "Chevrolet Blazer", without the K5 name. In 1970, GMC introduced its own model of the truck, called the Jimmy, which was discontinued in 1991 and replaced by the Yukon. The "Jimmy" name was chosen to reflect how GM may sound in a similar manner to how Jeep was thought to be a pronunciation of GP in the competing market. Both were short-wheelbase trucks and available with either rear- or four-wheel drive.

Ford Bronco

Ford Bronco

The Ford Bronco is a model line of sport utility vehicles manufactured and marketed by Ford. The first SUV model developed by the company, five generations of the Bronco were sold from the 1966 to 1996 model years. A sixth generation of the model line was introduced for the 2021 model year. The nameplate has been used on other Ford SUVs, namely the 1984–1990 Bronco II compact SUV and the 2021 Bronco Sport compact crossover.

Four-wheel drive

Four-wheel drive

Four-wheel drive, also called 4×4 or 4WD, refers to a two-axled vehicle drivetrain capable of providing torque to all of its wheels simultaneously. It may be full-time or on-demand, and is typically linked via a transfer case providing an additional output drive shaft and, in many instances, additional gear ranges.

Body-on-frame

Body-on-frame

Body-on-frame, also known as ladder frame construction, is a common motor vehicle construction method, whereby a separate body or coach is mounted on a strong and relatively rigid vehicle frame or chassis that carries the powertrain and to which the wheels and their suspension, brakes, and steering are mounted. While this was the original method of building automobiles, body-on-frame construction is now used mainly for heavy trucks, pickups, and predominantly large SUVs.

Chevrolet S-10

Chevrolet S-10

The Chevrolet S-10 is a compact pickup truck that was produced by Chevrolet. It was the first domestically built compact pickup of the big three American automakers. When it was first introduced as a "quarter-ton pickup" in 1981 for the 1982 model year, the GMC version was known as the S-15 and later renamed the GMC Sonoma. A high-performance version was released in 1991 and given the name of GMC Syclone. The pickup was also sold by Isuzu as the Hombre from 1996 through 2000, but only in North America. There was also an SUV version, the Chevrolet S-10 Blazer/GMC S-15 Jimmy. An electric version was leased as a fleet vehicle in 1997 and 1998. Together, these pickups are often referred to as the S-series.

Ford Ranger

Ford Ranger

Ford Ranger is a nameplate that has been used on multiple model lines of pickup trucks sold by Ford worldwide. The nameplate has been used for distinct model lines of vehicles worldwide since 1982 from the compact and mid-size pickup category.

Hatchback

Hatchback

A hatchback is a car body configuration with a rear door that swings upward to provide access to a cargo area. Hatchbacks may feature fold-down second row seating, where the interior can be reconfigured to prioritize passenger or cargo volume. Hatchbacks may feature two- or three-box design.

American Motors Corporation

American Motors Corporation

American Motors Corporation was an American automobile manufacturing company formed by the merger of Nash-Kelvinator Corporation and Hudson Motor Car Company on May 1, 1954. At the time, it was the largest corporate merger in U.S. history.

Automobile (magazine)

Automobile (magazine)

Automobile was an American automobile magazine published by the Motor Trend Group. A group of former employees of Car and Driver led by David E. Davis founded Automobile in 1986 with support from Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation, using the credo No Boring Cars. Automobile distinguished itself as more of a lifestyle magazine than the other automotive publications, an editorial theme that Davis greatly expanded upon from his tenure as the editor of Car and Driver, though it was a sister publication to Motor Trend.

Source: "Compact sport utility vehicle", Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, (2023, March 7th), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compact_sport_utility_vehicle.

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References
  1. ^ DeMuro, Doug (July 2019). "SUV vs. Crossover: What's the Difference?". Autotrader. Retrieved September 26, 2019.
  2. ^ Loveday, Steven (September 21, 2016). "SUVs vs. Crossovers: What's the Difference?". U.S. News and & World Report. Retrieved September 26, 2019.
  3. ^ Jorgensen, Janice, ed. (1994). Encyclopedia of Consumer Brands: Durable goods, Volume 3. St. James Press. pp. 252–253. ISBN 9781558623385. Retrieved September 26, 2019.
  4. ^ Stoklosa, Alexander (May 15, 2019). "Every 2019 Compact Crossover SUV Ranked from Worst to Best". Car and Driver. Retrieved September 26, 2019.
  5. ^ Dunne, Jim; Keebler, Jack (January 1984). "Compact four-wheel drives: Who's King of the Hill?". Popular Science. 224 (1): 26, 28, 32, 34. Retrieved September 26, 2019.
  6. ^ Foster, Patrick R. (2004). The Story of Jeep. Krause Publications. p. 187. ISBN 9780873497350.
  7. ^ Dunne, Jim (June 1982). "'83 Preview". Popular Science. 220 (6): 67.
  8. ^ Dunne, Jim (May 1983). "Ford's new off-road compact Bronco II". Popular Science. 222 (5): 85. Retrieved September 26, 2019.
  9. ^ Dunne, Jim (January 1984). "PS 4,000-mile test Mini-Jeep". Popular Science. 224 (1): 22. Retrieved September 26, 2019.
  10. ^ Statham, Steve. Jeep Color History. MotorBooks International. p. 112. ISBN 9781610590556. Retrieved September 26, 2019.
  11. ^ Foster, Patrick R. (2004). The Story of Jeep. Krause Publications. p. 246. ISBN 9780873497350.
  12. ^ Boberg, Evan. "History of the Jeep Liberty". allpar.com. Retrieved September 26, 2019.
  13. ^ Cumberford, Robert (April 2009). "20 greatest cars". Automobile Magazine. Retrieved September 26, 2019. Great designs never grow old, a truth no better confirmed than by designer Dick Teague's masterpiece, the Jeep Cherokee. Possibly the best SUV shape of all time, it is the paradigmatic model to which other designers have since aspired
  14. ^ Lutz, Robert A. (2003). Guts: 8 laws of business from one of the most innovative Business Leaders of Our Time. Wiley. p. 83. ISBN 9780471463221.
  15. ^ Bradsher, Keith (2002). High and Mighty: SUVs - the World's Most Dangerous Vehicles and How They Got That Way. PublicAffairs. p. 41. ISBN 978-1-58648-123-0.
  16. ^ "At a Glance: competition between the segments". The Power report: Volume 20. J.D. Power and Associates. 1998. Retrieved September 26, 2019.
  17. ^ Foster, Patrick R. (2004). The Story of Jeep. Krause Publications. p. 242. ISBN 9780873497350.
  18. ^ Zappe, Eric (2015). Jeep Cherokee XJ Performance Upgrades: 1984-2001 (Revised ed.). CarTech. p. 9. ISBN 9781613251768. Retrieved September 26, 2019.
  19. ^ AAA Autotest 1996. American Automobile Association (AAA). 1995. p. 161. ISBN 9781562511838. Retrieved September 26, 2019.
  20. ^ Mathioudakis, Byron. "Forester for the trees". Wheels Magazine (November 2018): 87.
  21. ^ "Suzuki Vitara: Everything You Need To Know About All-Grip". www.pakwheels.com. January 13, 2017. Retrieved December 8, 2018.

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