Buy one in Trailhawk trim, and the Grand Cherokee is even “Trail Rated,” meaning it has successfully navigated the brutally challenging Rubicon Trail.īut then, so have Jeep’s smaller Renegade, Compass, and Cherokee models when equipped with Trailhawk specification. Like traditional SUVs, it offers an available 4WD system with a transfer case and low-range gearing. Like a crossover SUV, the Jeep uses unibody construction. It pushes the boundary separating crossovers from traditional SUVs, lacking only a transfer case with low-range gearing to qualify as the latter.Īnd then there is the Jeep Grand Cherokee, one of the most popular SUVs in America. Meanwhile, the 2022 Subaru Forester Wilderness offers a whopping 9.2 inches of ground clearance, standard all-terrain tires, and sophisticated drivetrain technology that allows it to scramble up and down steep grades littered with loose material. The Soul doesn’t offer AWD, which, combined with increased ground clearance compared to a typical car, ought to be a qualifying requirement to meet minimum crossover SUV classification standards. For example, Kia markets the boxy little Soul as a crossover, but technically it’s a multi-purpose vehicle. Seemingly by definition, a crossover can be anything. Now, a majority of vehicles sold in America are crossover SUVs. Soon, Honda began selling the CR-V, Subaru introduced the Forester, and Ford debuted the Escape. But the low price, high fuel economy, and promise of Toyota reliability blended with utility and AWD made it appealing. It was an oddity at the time, quite small and strange-looking. Meanwhile, Toyota debuted the first Recreational Activity Vehicle with 4WD ( RAV4) for the 1996 model year. The original Legacy Outback provided much of the same utility and capability in a more affordable and efficient package. By the 1996 model year, Americans had fallen in love with the Ford Explorer, and SUVs were increasingly used as replacements for family cars. But it was the 1980 AMC Eagle that first tried SUV styling on a raised passenger-car platform combined with AWD.Įagle permanently landed after the 1988 model year, but within a decade, Subaru had applied the exact same recipe to its Legacy station wagon to create the first Outback. In 1995, Toyota and Subaru introduced models that would change the automotive landscape and consumer preferences for decades to come. These characteristics make crossover SUVs less capable in challenging driving situations. Furthermore, crossover SUVs do not have 2-speed transfer cases, which add low-range gearing to a 4-wheel-drive (4WD) system for difficult driving conditions. However, compared to a traditional body-on-frame SUV, a crossover SUV almost always offers reduced towing capacity, provides less ground clearance, and has more restrictive approach, breakover, and departure angles. Benefits include more interior passenger and cargo space, greater fuel economy, and superior ride and handling qualities on the paved roads where most people drive most of the time. Unibody design is lighter than the more rugged body-on-frame construction used in traditional SUVs. In fact, some crossover SUVs are based on car models. Deciding between the two depends on how you plan to use the vehicle and what you value most in a new SUV.Ĭrossover SUVs employ unibody construction, meaning the underlying body architecture and frame are a single unit, similar to a passenger car. However, if you want to have a comprehensive answer to your question, you might want to read on.Significant differences frequently exist between crossover SUVs and traditional SUVs. Some crossovers have light off-road capabilities, which opens up new possibilities for most, and they are not as inefficient as one might think. We'll just spill the beans right away these cars are practical. We know that crossovers are popular, but, what makes them so popular? That's the big question we try to answer. While most car lovers don't like these cars, we are, sadly, in the minority when it comes to the car-buying public and these cars are selling like hotcakes. While the car world is preparing to say goodbye to the internal combustion engines, the takeover of crossover SUVs on our roads now seems inevitable. Nowadays, gearheads have two big things to worry about. Even in Europe, where people love their small, compact cars such as the Renault Clio and Volkswagen Golf, crossovers are proving to be very popular choices. Crossovers have been the most popular cars in the US for a while now. Crossover SUVs are everywhere, and they are here to stay.
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