What is Crossover: SUV or Motor Car?

Many drivers pay a tribute of respect to crossovers - one of the most comfortable classes of a car for our roads. Today analysts consider that the market of this segment reached a point in a third of all market of new cars in the country.

For this reason interest to crossovers doesn't vanish, and only increases from year to year. Crossovers or CUV that from English is deciphered as Crossover Utility Vehicle, and is translated as transport of multiple-purpose use, interest buyers more and more. It's time to explain what a crossover is and why it enjoys such active popularity.

Difference between crossover and SUV

Any concrete figures don't exist which would help to distinguish this two types of cars. It is possible to claim only that crossovers are more compact cars, have a little smaller clearance, built on bearing body. But all these features can be present at a class of full-fledged SUVs.

What do motorists understand under this term? There is a number of informal factors by means of which it is possible to distinguish a crossover from the SUV:

• crossovers often have sports mood;
• their operation on sand and gravel is undesirable;
• suspension designed for city trip and not to the challenges of off-road;
• less attention is paid to such parameters, as a corner of entrance and posting of wheels;
• the body can be exclusively bearing - all frame cars are SUVs;
• CUV is designed for dynamic trip and youth audience.

By these criteria manufacturers call their children crossovers. But it is clear that these criteria are rather vague. For example, Lexus RX is considered as a crossover, and Mercedes-Benz ML with similar dimensions belongs to the class of SUVs. Possibly, manufacturers also include price policy in the calculations. After all the ML class could hardly compete in cost with a class of crossovers.

History of development of a class of crossovers

The first crossover which has received such name also defined development of future segment. There was a child of the Chrysler company which in the late 80-ies of the last century belonged to AMC, Jeep and some other. The first-ever crossover was a station wagon with the increased clearence and the simplest technology of an all wheel drive. Today this car wouldn't enter this class..

Official versions of emergence of serial crossovers are the following:

• first generation of Toyota RAV4 in the mid-nineties;
• Honda CR-V which has appeared in the market in the same year as the previous model;
• Mitsubishi Outlander which development began approximately in those years;
• Nissan Qashqai - the manufacturer declared that exactly this car opened an era of modern crossovers.

Really, few people told the word "crossover" and dared to get the similar car before emergence in the market of Japanese Qashqai. But theoretically it is the ancestor of a class of compact crossovers, and here the first three representatives have the full right to be called as pioneers of the market.

Today crossovers received huge distinction on types of suspenders, engines, on dimensions and richness of internal finishing. Practically each respecting manufacturer offers the crossover which has certain advantages in the market.

Future of the market of crossovers and price bands

The present market was so sated with models of this class that manufacturers and sellers should limit price segments.

More strong and more nicely cars entered a middle price class. There is also expensive segment filled with production of BMW and Lexus. You can't count all brands therefore the choice for the buyer became very difficult. If to consider that each model possesses several engines and three packages, it is impossible to choose at all.

The future of the market of crossovers will be under construction on the following reasons:

• increase of cross-country ability and universality of use of cars;
• increase in power of engines in the budgetary class;
• integration of exclusively automatic transmissions;
• equipment of each model by an all wheel drive;
• design change towards sports and youth preferences.

Such foreshortenings of the review of the market will help producers to sell more crossovers. Nevertheless, you shouldn't forget about the price. In such abundance even the European manufacturers try to reduce cost and to enter economic packages in the list. The Czech Skoda Yeti is offered in a basic package with the ridiculous engine on 1.2 liters. Quantity of the horses captured from improving turbine unit sooner or later become a problem for owners of such cars.

The economy on cars has to be reasonable. When buying a car consider number of horsepower on 1 liter of engine volume, otherwise it is necessary to sell the car urgently upon completion of a warranty period.

Let's sum up the results

The class of crossovers constantly expands the borders. And the new concepts created by world leaders, confirm a tendency on development and equipment modernization. In the near future we are waited by interesting novelties of automotive industry from all over the world.

We will hope that manufacturers won't forget about reasonable "pumping" of the engines and economy on the materials, after all similar statements began to destroy image of unshakable quality of Toyota or the premium status of BMW.