They drove more like cars and were more fuel efficient and space efficient, no doubt.īut much has changed since then. But the “car-based” SUV models credited with breaking ground and becoming the first and most influential crossovers of the SUV era include stuff like the 1996 Toyota RAV Lexus RX 300 (these model years represent U.S. By that time in automotive history, most cars used unibody platforms (also known as monocoque or unitary construction) in which the structural floor pan and body are a single piece.Įven before the SUV explosion there were some lesser-known trailblazers (sorry, Chevy) like the original sport utility wagon (sorry, Subaru): the 1980 AMC Eagle. When SUVs proliferated more than 20 years ago, the overwhelming majority were based on trucks - some literally full-cab versions of existing pickups, like the segment-establishing Ford Explorer, which was derived from the Ford Ranger - while others merely used body-on-frame truck platforms.
If you accept the historical definition, which is based on a vehicle’s underlying construction, almost all of 2019’s roughly 114 discrete SUV models were crossovers only 13 weren’t. Fortunately, all of these characteristics are their own bottom lines, so rather than obsess over whether a vehicle is a crossover or an SUV, why not look at the bottom-line items and get on with your shopping? Now Almost Everything’s a Crossover The fixation with the terms SUV and crossover are mainly about characteristics that these terms no longer faithfully represent, such as appearance, efficiency, roominess and capability. View all 2020 Ford Explorer models for sale near 60606
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