Sport utility vehicle (SUV) is a popular passenger vehicle that is taller and larger than a normal car. An SUV combines the features of a station wagon and a truck. Like a station wagon, an SUV has a combined compartment for passengers and cargo, a rear door, and no separate trunk. But like a truck, an SUV features elevated driver seating and extra ground clearance.
Most SUV’s have four-wheel drive—that is, a drive system that delivers the engine’s power to all four wheels. Four-wheel drive provides good traction on steep hills, rough or wet roads, and muddy trails. SUV’s with four-wheel drive can be used for off-road travel, and so they are popular with skiers, hunters, and other outdoor enthusiasts. But most people use SUV’s for everyday travel on paved roads. Manufacturers have begun producing SUV’s without four-wheel drive for such mainstream drivers. Some vehicles, called crossover vehicles, look like SUV’s, but their performance and fuel efficiency is more like that of a regular automobile.
Military jeeps, first used in the 1940’s, were the forerunners of today’s SUV’s (see Jeep ). The first commercial SUV was the 1962 Jeep Wagoneer.
