'Crossover' is a relatively recent term, and early unibody SUVs (such as the 1984 Jeep Cherokee) are rarely called crossovers. However, these definitions are often blurred in practice, since unibody vehicles are also often referred to as SUVs. The difference between crossover SUVs and other SUVs as generally defined by journalists and manufacturers is that a crossover is built using a unibody platform, while an SUV is built using a body-on-frame platform.

In the US, the market share of crossovers has grown from under 4% in 2000 to nearly 40% in 2018. The Toyota RAV4, first introduced in 1994, pioneered the modern concept of a crossover. The 1979 AMC Eagle has been credited as a forerunner of crossovers, before the term crossover was used. Compared to traditional cars with lower ride height and a lower roof such as sedans and hatchbacks, crossovers offer larger cabin space and enhanced driving position. Ĭompared to traditional SUVs, crossovers are known to be less capable of use in off-road conditions or hauling heavy loads, while instead offering other advantages such as superior fuel economy and handling. The term SUV is often used as an umbrella term for both crossovers and traditional SUVs due to the similarities between them. Crossovers are also described as 'car-like SUVs' or 'car-based SUVs'. A crossover, crossover SUV, or crossover utility vehicle ( CUV) is a type of automobile with an increased ride height that is built on unibody chassis construction shared with passenger cars, as opposed to traditional sport utility vehicles (SUV), which are built on a body-on-frame chassis construction similar to pickup trucks.Ī term that originated from North America, the term crossover was initially used for any vehicle that blends characteristics between two different kinds of vehicles while, over time, crossover mostly refers to unibody-based SUVs.

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