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61-513: Between the Everglades and Biscayne Bay, over six miles (10 km) of trail have been developed for use by off-road vehicles : slightly more than a mile of expert singletrack, a half-mile of intermediate singletrack, almost three miles (5 km) of novice singletrack, and more than two miles (3 km) of paved pathway. They all connect in what is essentially an out-and-back , but various loops of different lengths and difficulties can be ridden off

122-465: A light truck chassis; however, broader definitions consider any vehicle with off-road design features to be an SUV. A crossover SUV is often defined as an SUV built with a unibody construction (as with passenger cars); however, the designations are increasingly blurred because of the capabilities of the vehicles, the labelling by marketers, and the electrification of new models. The predecessors to SUVs date back to military and low-volume models from

183-456: A station wagon , on a body comparable to that of a light truck , with four-wheel-drive drivetrains . Later, during the 1990s, as off-road vehicles became more popular, more companies started to produce their own line of what became known as Sport Utility Vehicles. Around this time, manufacturers began to add more features to allow off-road vehicles to compete in the consumer market with regular vehicles. Over time, this evolved into what we call

244-685: A 30% excise duty. In Australia, SUV sales were helped by having lower import duties than passenger cars. Up until January 2010, SUVs were subject to a 5% import tariff, compared with 10% for passenger cars. In February 2024, voters in Paris mandated a triple parking charge rate for SUVs, citing environmental impact and street capacity; this followed similar decisions in Lyon and Tübingen with similar ordinances being considered by London, Brussels and Amsterdam. Many years after most passenger cars had transitioned to unibody construction, most SUVs continued to use

305-532: A coil-sprung independent front suspension . The relatively compact Niva is considered a predecessor to the crossover SUV and combines a hatchback-like passenger car body with full-time four-wheel drive, low-range gearing, and lockable center differential. Nonetheless, unibody SUVs remained rare until the 1984 Jeep Cherokee (XJ) was introduced and became a sales success. The introduction of the 1993 Jeep Grand Cherokee resulted in all Jeep SUV models using unibody construction, with many other brands following suit since

366-461: A common, rear-wheel drive vehicle, any 4WD (four-wheel drive) needed many essential extra components, including a transfer case , a second differential, and constant-velocity joints for the driven front axle—which were expensive due to the precision involved in this required manufacturing gears and other specialized parts. Before World War   II, these were produced in the United States by only

427-527: A conventional car or truck to turn it into a half-track , suitable for use over rough or soft ground. After the Russian Revolution of 1917 , Kégresse returned to his native France where the system was used on Citroën cars between 1921 and 1937 for off-road and military vehicles . The Citroën company sponsored several overland expeditions with vehicles crossing North Africa and Central Asia . A huge wheeled vehicle designed from 1937 to 1939 under

488-409: A crash than regular cars and that SUV roofs were more likely to cave in on passengers than in other cars, resulting in increased harm to passengers. Between 1991 and 2001, the United States saw a 150% increase in sport-utility vehicle rollover deaths. In 2001, though roll-overs constituted just 3% of vehicle crashes overall, they caused over 30% of occupant fatalities in crashes; and in crashes where

549-483: A day, with electric cars reducing oil demand by under 100,000 barrels a day. Whereas SUVs can be electrified , or converted to run on a variety of alternative fuels , including hydrogen , their (manufacturing) emissions will always be larger than smaller electric cars. On average, SUVs consume about a quarter more energy than medium-size cars. Furthermore, the vast majority of these vehicles are not converted to use alternative fuels. Between 2010 and 2018 SUVs were

610-400: A few specialized firms with limited production capacity. Due to the increase in demand for parts for the war effort, in the spring of 1942 Ford , Dodge , and Chevrolet joined in fabricating these parts in mass quantities, boosting their production more than 100-fold. An early usage of the term was the 1947 Crosley CC Four Sport Utility model, which used a convertible wagon body style and

671-499: A gas that is linked to global warming. According to the International Energy Agency , from 2010 SUVs have been the second-largest contributor to the increase in global CO 2 emissions, second only to the power sector. SUVs were responsible for all of the 3.3 million barrels a day growth in oil demand from passenger cars between 2010 and 2018, whereas efficiency improvements in smaller cars saved over 2 million barrels

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732-449: A higher center of gravity , therefore increasing the risk of rollover. When an SUV turns, the vehicle's mass resists the turn. This carries the SUV's weight forward, thus allowing the traction from the tires to create a lateral centripetal force as the vehicle continues through the turn. The conflict between the top weight of the SUV's desire to go straight and the friction of the tires on

793-467: A higher top speed. A tracked drivetrain has greater off-road capability. Tires play a significant role for any off-road vehicle equipped with wheels, ensuring optimal traction to keep it moving. The off-road tire tread types vary depending on the terrain type. The most common types of off-road tires are A/T (stands for "All Terrain") and M/T (stands for "Mud Terrain"). While the A/T tires perform excellently on

854-540: A light utility vehicle (LUV), a quad bike or quad (if it has four wheels), as defined by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), is a vehicle that travels on low-pressure tires, has a seat that is straddled by the operator, and has handlebars. As the name implies, it is designed to handle a wider variety of terrain than most other vehicles. It is street-legal in some countries, but not in most states, territories and provinces of Australia,

915-869: A long-bodied version of a full-size SUV, which is called an "extended-length SUV" like the Ford Expedition EL and the Chevrolet Suburban . The additional length is used to provide extra space for rear passengers or cargo. As per the full-size SUVs they are based on, most extended-length SUVs are built on dedicated platforms, full-sized pickups ( 1⁄2 ton ), or heavy-duty pickups (3⁄4 ton or more). Extended-length SUVs are mostly sold in North America but may also be exported to other markets in small numbers. Some SUVs or crossovers with sloping rear rooflines are marketed as "coupe crossover SUVs" or "coupe SUVs", even though they have four side doors for passenger access to

976-456: A separate body-on-frame method, due to being based on the chassis from a light truck , commercial vehicle , pickup truck , or off-road vehicle . The first mass-produced unibody four-wheel-drive passenger car was the Russian 1955 GAZ-M20 Pobeda M-72 , which could be considered the first crossover car. The 1977 Lada Niva was the first off-road vehicle to use both a unibody construction and

1037-521: A standard gearbox often has an output speed too high. The vehicle often has one of two things, either a very low ("granny") first gear (like the all-wheel drive Volkswagen Transporter versions) or an additional gearbox in line with the first, called a reduction drive . Some vehicles, like the Bv206 in the picture on the right, also have torque converters to reduce the gearing. SUVs are built with higher ground clearance , for off-road use, and thus have

1098-457: A study by the U.S.-based IIHS found that, of a sample of 79 crashes from three urban areas in Michigan, SUVs caused more serious injuries compared to cars when impacts occurred at greater than 31 km/h (19 mph). The IIHS noted the sample size of the study was small and that more research is needed. The popularity of SUVs contributed to an increase in pedestrian fatalities in the U.S. during

1159-502: A truck in others. For industry production statistics, SUVs are counted in the light truck product segment. In India, all SUVs are classified in the "Utility Vehicle" category per the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) definitions and carry a 27% excise tax. Those that are 4 metres (13 feet) long, have a 1,500 cc (92 cu in) engine or larger, along with 170 mm (6.7 in) of ground clearance, are subject to

1220-437: Is a car classification that combines elements of road-going passenger cars with features from off-road vehicles , such as raised ground clearance and four-wheel drive . There is no commonly agreed-upon definition of an SUV, and usage of the term varies between countries. Thus, it is "a loose term that traditionally covers a broad range of vehicles with four-wheel drive." Some definitions claim that an SUV must be built on

1281-604: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article related to a river in Florida is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Off-road vehicle An off-road vehicle ( ORV ), sometimes referred to as an off-highway vehicle ( OHV ), overland vehicle , or adventure vehicle , is any vehicle designed to drive on non- paved surfaces, such as trails and forest roads , that have rough, uneven, and low-traction surfaces. Off-road vehicles have been popularized through competitive off-road events, such as

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1342-415: Is also suggested that the term "SUV" has replaced "jeep" as a general term for off-road vehicles. American dictionary definitions for SUVs include: In British English, the terms "4x4" (pronounced "four-by-four"), "jeep", four wheel drive, or "off-road vehicle" are generally used instead of "sport utility vehicle". The sardonic term "Chelsea tractor" is also commonly used, due to the perceived popularity of

1403-885: Is generally used for road-oriented vehicles, described as "J-segment" by the European Commission . "Four-by-four" or the brand name of the vehicle is typically used for off-road-oriented vehicles. Similarly, in New Zealand, vehicles designed for off-road use are typically referred to as "four-wheel drives" instead of SUVs. In the United States, many government regulations simply have categories for "off-highway vehicles" which are loosely defined and often result in SUVs (along with pick-up trucks and minivans ) being classified as light trucks . For example, corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) regulations previously included "permit greater cargo-carrying capacity than passenger carrying volume" in

1464-440: Is less than a quarter of what it was for 2004 models. With ESC dramatically reducing rollover risk, the inherent advantages offered by SUVs' greater size, weight, and height emerge more clearly. Today's SUVs have the lowest driver death rate of any vehicle type." The high danger for cyclists and pedestrians of being seriously injured or even killed by SUV drivers has caused some public protests against SUVs in urban areas. In 2020,

1525-422: Is sometimes defined as a crossover being built using a unibody platform (the type used by most passenger cars), while an SUV is built using a body-on-frame platform (the type used by off-road vehicles and light trucks). However, these definitions are often blurred in practice, since unibody vehicles are also often referred to as SUVs. Also, crossover is a relatively recent term and early unibody SUVs (such as

1586-566: Is therefore unrelated to the design of later SUVs. Several models of carryall wagons began to be offered with four-wheel drive, beginning in 1949 when the Willys Jeep Station Wagon introduced the option of four-wheel drive. Four-wheel-drive versions of the Chevrolet Suburban were introduced for 1955, followed by the International Harvester Travelall in 1956 (credited as being the first full-size SUV) and

1647-502: The SUV today. It also evolved into the newer crossover vehicle , where utility and off-road capability were sacrificed for better on-road handling and luxury. To be able to drive off the pavement , off-road vehicles need several characteristics: They need to have a low ground pressure , so as not to sink into soft ground, they need a lot of ground clearance , to not get stuck on obstacles, and they need to keep their wheels or tracks on

1708-500: The Sierra Club , publish and encourage appropriate trail ethics . ORVs have also been criticized for producing more pollution in areas that might normally have none. In addition to noise pollution that can cause hearing impairment and stress in wildlife, according to the U.S. Forest Service , old-style two-stroke engines (no longer a component of new off-road vehicles, although some are still in use) "emit about 20 to 33 percent of

1769-543: The road causes the bottom of the vehicle to move away and out from under the SUV during a turn. SUVs are more likely to be in rollover accidents than passenger cars . According to a study conducted in the United States , SUVs have twice the fatality rate of passenger cars and have nearly triple the fatality rate in rollover accidents. In the United States, light trucks (including SUVs ) represent 36 percent of all registered vehicles. They are involved in about half of

1830-488: The 1984 Jeep Cherokee) are rarely called crossovers. Due to these inconsistencies, the term SUV is often used as a catch-all for both crossovers and SUVs. Outside of the United States, the term crossover tends to be used for C-segment ( compact ) or smaller vehicles, with large unibody vehicles—such as the Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class , BMW X7 , and Range Rover —usually referred to as SUVs rather than crossovers. In

1891-401: The 1990s and early 2000s was partly due to buyers perceiving that SUVs provide greater safety for occupants, due to their larger size and raised ride height. Regarding the safety of other road users, SUVs are exempted from U.S. regulation stating that a passenger car bumper must protect the area between 16 and 20 inches (41 and 51 cm) above the ground. This often increases the damage to

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1952-553: The 2010s, alongside other factors such as distracted and drunk driving. A 2021 study by the University of Illinois Springfield showed that SUVs are 8 times more likely to kill children in a collision than passenger cars, and multiple times more lethal to adult pedestrians and cyclists. SUVs generally have poorer fuel efficiency than smaller cars, and thus contribute more to environmental degradation and global warming . SUVs emit about 700 megatonnes of carbon dioxide per year,

2013-567: The United Kingdom, a crossover is sometimes defined as a hatchback model with raised ride height and SUV-like styling features. The smallest size class of SUVs is the "mini SUV". In Japan, SUVs under 3,400 mm (133.9 in)—such as the Mitsubishi Pajero Mini —are included in the kei car category and therefore attract lower taxes. Many recent vehicles labeled as mini SUVs are technically subcompact crossovers and are built on

2074-482: The United States, and Canada. By the current ANSI definition, ATVs are intended for use by a single operator, but some ATVs, referred to as tandem ATVs, have been developed for use by the driver and one passenger. The military market for off-road vehicles used to be large, but, since the fall of the Iron Curtain in the 1990s, it has dried up to some extent. The U.S. jeeps , developed during World War II , coined

2135-500: The annual Dakar Rally , which challenges vehicles to navigate harsh terrain across various countries. One of the first modified off-road vehicles was the Kégresse track , a conversion undertaken first by Adolphe Kégresse , who designed the original while working for Czar Nicholas II of Russia , between 1906 and 1916. The system uses a caterpillar track with a flexible belt, rather than interlocking metal segments. It can be fitted to

2196-489: The consumed fuel through the exhaust" and "discharge from two-stroke snowmobile engines can lead to indirect pollutant deposition into the top layer of snow and subsequently into the associated surface and groundwater." In 2002, the United States Environmental Protection Agency adopted emissions standards for all-terrain vehicles that "when fully implemented in 2012... are expected to prevent

2257-616: The definition for trucks, resulting in cars with removable rear seats, like the PT Cruiser, being classified as light trucks. This classification as trucks allowed SUVs to be regulated less strictly than passenger cars under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act for fuel economy, and the Clean Air Act for emissions. However, from 2004 onwards, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) began to hold sport utility vehicles to

2318-470: The design of modern SUVs was the 1940 Humber Heavy Utility , a four-wheel-drive off-road vehicle built on the chassis of the Humber Super Snipe passenger car. The most prohibitive initial factors to the potential civilian popularity of an SUV-like car were their cost and the availability of certain critical parts. Before the war, adding four-wheel drive to a car almost doubled its cost. Compared to

2379-693: The direction of Thomas Poulter called Antarctic Snow Cruiser , was intended to facilitate transport in Antarctica . While having several innovative features, it generally failed to operate as hoped under difficult conditions and was eventually abandoned in Antarctica. Early off-road vehicles, such as the U.S. Jeep Wagoneer and Ford Bronco , the British Range Rover , and the station wagon -bodied Japanese Toyota Land Cruiser , Nissan Patrol , and Suzuki Lj's series were all had bodies similar to those of

2440-401: The environment than foot traffic alone, and ORV operators who attempt to test their vehicles against natural obstacles can do significantly more damage than those who follow legal trails. Illegal use of off-road vehicles has been identified as a serious land management problem ranked with dumping garbage and other forms of vandalism . Many user organizations, such as Tread Lightly! and

2501-680: The fatal two-vehicle crashes with passenger cars, and 80 percent of these fatalities are to occupants of passenger cars. In the United States , the number of ORV users since 1972 has climbed sevenfold—from five million to 36 million in 2000. Government policies that protect wilderness but also allow recreational ORVs, have been the subject of some debate within the United States and other countries. All trail and off-trail activities impact natural vegetation and wildlife, which can lead to erosion , invasive species , habitat loss , and ultimately, species loss decreasing an ecosystem 's ability to maintain homeostasis . ORVs cause greater stress to

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2562-456: The ground, so as not to lose traction. Wheeled vehicles accomplish this by having a suitable balance of large or additional tires, combined with tall and flexible suspension . Tracked vehicles accomplish this by having wide tracks and flexible suspension on the road wheels. The choice of wheels versus tracks is one of cost and suitability. A tracked drivetrain is more expensive to produce and maintain. Wheeled drivetrains are cheaper and give

2623-531: The largest size of commonly produced SUVs. Some, such as the Ford Expedition , and Chevrolet Tahoe , are marketed for their off-road capabilities, and others, such as the Lincoln Navigator and Cadillac Escalade , are marketed as luxury vehicles. While a few full-size SUVs are built on dedicated platforms; most share their platforms with full-size pickup trucks . Some North American SUVs are available as

2684-420: The late 1930s, and the four-wheel-drive station wagons and carryalls that began to be introduced in 1949. Some SUVs produced today use unibody construction; however, in the past, more SUVs used body-on-frame construction. During the late 1990s and early 2000s, the popularity of SUVs significantly increased, often at the expense of the popularity of large sedans and station wagons. SUVs accounted for 45.9% of

2745-556: The main out-and-back. The extinct Tequesta Indians canoed the waters of the Oleta River over 400 years ago and today, a Tequesta village and midden site is preserved nearby as a reminder of the river's past human history . This area now represents one of the last wilderness areas available to wildlife in northern Miami-Dade County. 25°56′N 80°08′W  /  25.93°N 80.13°W  / 25.93; -80.13 This Miami-Dade County, Florida location article

2806-422: The media and the general public. The auto industry also has not settled on one definition of the SUV. Automotive websites' descriptions of SUVs range from specifically "combining car-like appointments and wagon practicality with steadfast off-road capability" with "chair-height seats and picture-window visibility" to the more general "nearly anything with available all-wheel drive and raised ground clearance". It

2867-497: The mid-1990s. Today, most SUVs in production use a unibody construction and relatively few models continue to use body-on-frame construction. SUVs are typically of a two-box design similar to a station wagon . The engine compartment is in the front, followed by a combined passenger/cargo area (unlike a sedan, which has a separate trunk/boot compartment). Up until approximately 2010, many SUV models were available in two-door body styles. Since then, manufacturers began to discontinue

2928-543: The other car in a collision with an SUV, because the impact occurs at a higher location on the other car. In 2000–2001, 60% of fatal side-impact collisions were where the other vehicle was an SUV, an increase from 30% in 1980–1981. The introduction of electronic stability control (ESC) and rollover mitigation, as well as increased analysis of the risks of a rollover, led the IIHS to report in 2015 that "the rollover death rate of 5 per million registered vehicle years for 2011 models

2989-537: The platform of a subcompact (also called supermini or B-segment) passenger car. The "compact SUV" is the next bigger-size class after mini SUVs. Many recent vehicles labeled as compact SUVs are technically compact crossovers and are built on the platform of a compact (C-segment) passenger car. The next larger size is called the "mid-size SUV". Some mid-size SUVs are based on platforms shared with passenger cars and therefore, are crossovers. Other mid-size SUVs are based on compact or mid-size pickups. Full-size SUVs are

3050-502: The psychological sense of security they provide influences drivers to drive less cautiously, and may in-turn, cause others with smaller vehicles to opt for SUVs in the future under the sense of security, all the while increasing the rate of fatalities of pedestrians. There is no universally accepted definition of the sport utility vehicle. Dictionaries, automotive experts, and journalists use varying wordings and defining characteristics, in addition to regional variations of usage by both

3111-463: The release of more than two million tons of air pollution each year—the equivalent of removing the pollution from more than 32 million cars every year." Common commercial vehicles used for off-roading include four-wheel-drive pickup trucks and SUVs such as the Ford F-Series , Jeep Wrangler , and Toyota Land Cruiser , among others. Typically, owners will perform additional modifications to

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3172-469: The same tailpipe emissions standards as cars for criteria pollutants, though not greenhouse gas emissions standards as they were not set until 2010. In 2011, the CAFE regulations were changed to classify small, two-wheel-drive SUVs as passenger cars. However, the licensing and traffic enforcement regulations in the United States vary from state to state, and an SUV may be classified as a car in some states but as

3233-476: The sand, they are barely usable in the mud. There are also unique Sand Blaster and Mud bogging tires used for the most challenging terrains such as dirt, sand, and even water to maintain traction at extreme angles and high speeds (off-road motorsport ). Most off-road vehicles are fitted with low gearing . This allows the operator to optimize the engine 's available power while moving slowly through challenging terrain. An internal combustion engine coupled to

3294-502: The seats and rear hatches for cargo area access. Just before and during World War II , prototypes and low-volume production examples of military cars with sedan or station wagon-type bodies and rugged, off-road capable four-wheel drive chassis began to appear around the world. These early models included the 1936 Kurogane Type 95 from Japan, the 1938 GAZ-61 from Russia as well as the 1941 Volkswagen Kommandeurswagen and 1936 Opel Geländesportwagen from Germany. An early predecessor to

3355-512: The second largest contributor to the global increase in carbon emissions worldwide. The "crossover SUV" segment (also known as "CUVs" or simply "crossovers") has become increasingly popular since around 2010. Crossovers are often based on a platform shared with a passenger car, as a result, they typically have better comfort and fuel economy, but less off-road capability (many crossovers are sold without all-wheel drive) than pickup truck-based SUVs. The difference between crossovers and other SUVs

3416-568: The two-door models as the four-door models became more popular. A few two-door SUVs remain available, such as the body-on-frame Suzuki Jimny , Mahindra Thar , Toyota Land Cruiser Prado , Ford Bronco , and Jeep Wrangler as well as the Range Rover Evoque crossover SUV. SUVs typically have high ground clearance and a tall body. This results in a high center of mass , which made SUVs more prone to roll-over accidents . In 2003, SUVs were quoted as 2.5 times more likely to roll over in

3477-401: The vehicle did roll over, SUV occupants in the early 2000s were nearly three times as likely to be killed as other car passengers. Vehicles with a high center of gravity do sometimes fail the moose test of maneuverability conducted by Swedish consumer magazine Teknikens Värld , for example, the 1997 Mercedes-Benz A-Class and 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee . The increasing popularity of SUVs in

3538-488: The vehicles with urban residents of Chelsea, London , and their likeness to vehicles used by farmers. However, in the 2020s, the term SUV has entered usage in the United Kingdom The Collins English Dictionary defines a sport utility vehicle as a "powerful vehicle with four-wheel drive that can be driven over rough ground. The abbreviation SUV is often used." In Europe, the term SUV

3599-629: The wheels, tires, suspension, and body to improve their performance off-road. Several decommissioned military vehicles have also been used by civilians, including the Jeep CJ and the AM General Hummer . Some, like the early Land Rovers , were adapted to military use from civilian specifications. Specialized off-road vehicles include Utility terrain vehicles (UTVs), All-terrain vehicles (ATVs), dirt bikes , dune buggies , rock crawlers , and sandrails . An all-terrain vehicle (ATV), also known as

3660-728: The word many people use for any light off-road vehicle. In the U.S., the Jeeps' successor from the mid-1980s was the AM General HMMWV series. The Red Army used the GAZ-61 and GAZ-64 during World War II . The Eastern Bloc used the GAZ-69 and UAZ-469 in similar roles. Vehicles used as the primary transport in an expedition , not for profit, scientific research or personal use. [REDACTED] Media related to Off-road vehicles at Wikimedia Commons SUV A sport utility vehicle ( SUV )

3721-616: The world's passenger car market in 2021. SUVs have been criticized for a variety of environmental and safety-related reasons. They generally have poorer fuel efficiency and require more resources to manufacture than smaller vehicles, contributing more to climate change and environmental degradation . Between 2010 and 2018, SUVs were the second-largest contributor to the global increase in carbon emissions worldwide. Their higher center of gravity increases their risk of rollovers . Their higher front-end profile makes them at least twice as likely to kill pedestrians they hit. Additionally,

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