In many specialized dictionaries, the term SUV refers only to vehicles intended for "off-road" traffic. However, this concept is used more broadly to denote a four-wheel-drive car. Often SUVs are called "jeeps"-an example of turning a brand into a name that is negative. Story of an SUV: from the army to a "citizen"
Story of an SUV: from the army to a "citizen"
American industrialist Arthur Herrrington is the creator of the world's first SUV. Back in the First World War, he was thinking of creating a fundamentally new vehicle, which would drive down any road. Herrington was experimenting with four and six wheeled trucks.
Since the beginning of the Second World War, the work on off-road vehicles has intensified. The armed forces announced the competition that Willys won. The project proposed by it met all requirements-cheap, power, passable and simple in service. Ford, which helped Willys to carry out a large order of armed forces, in 1940. The start of production of the Ford GP (general purpose) model. In the first letters, the soldiers called the car "jeep", and, subsequently, began to refer to other models of off-road as well. Another version of the origin of the name is that "jeep" at army slang means "hard work".
In the USSR, the first Soviet GAZ-64 SU-64, nicknamed "Ivano-Willis" by analogy with its overseas "collectable", was produced during the war.
With the end of the war, the issue of army jeeps in the US was not over, they were interested in the police, ambulance, farmers, hunters, fishermen. The production of civilian SUVs has begun. The name of the Jeep was registered as a trademark, and the name of the car class was introduced by the name "SUV".
Gradually, the SUV began to appear in the model series of other brands: in 1946. Nissan issued a "clone" of the American jeep, and in 1948, Nissan. The first Brit-Land Rover appeared. By the way, the last one was made of aluminum, because steel after the war was a big deficit.
The first civilian SUVs were almost exact copies of the army. They were not interested in the citizens, because marketers positioned the car as a "hybrid" of a car and a tractor. The turning point was 1963 when the Jeep Wagoneer, which was a fresh design, convenient salon and ACPR, came into the market.
In the late 1960s, the first Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) of the Chevrolet Blazer, which was provided with a smaller and removable plastic roof, was presented to the public.
In 1970, he was a was created a Range Rover model, which boasted not only the terrain, but also the increased level of comfort. Initially, the car was called a "farmer in the cancer", but it was gradually gaining popularity.
1977. It was another important milestone in the history of the SUV: the first compact SUV with the carrier body and permanent full drive-VAZ-2121 "Niva" was created in the USSR. The compact, budget, and impassable model has gained popularity around the world and, in fact, has launched a new variety of SUVs.
It is an interesting fact that in the 1930s, cars were produced in the USA in a body called the "keyol". These were vans with two or three doors, the ones closest to the modern full-size SUV. They were very popular with American families and later became collectors. Modern cabriles can be called, for example, Chevrolet Suburban and Ford Excursion.
The first cars with a "SUV" body type are small eels, often without a roof or a door. It was technically possible to take them to the type of the "Faceton" of no comfort for the driver and passengers of the speech.
Over time, the design of the SUVs has become better, more attractive, and the salon is more comfortable. Modern body "SUV" in terms of functional affiliation closest to a three-door or a five-door station wagon. Like a station wagon, the SUV is a two-volume body with a rear door and a cargo area which is not separated from the passenger compartment by a fixed bulkhead. Usually the SUV also has large wheels, reliefs and powerful front part with a massive bumper and a large grille grill. It is most often a 5-local, but some models have 7-local versions with three rows of seats.
It is noteworthy that the introduction of SUVs in Russia is exactly like universals. This is evidenced by the relevant record in the registration documents.
One of the main trends in the evolution of the SUV salon is, oddly enough, the reduction of space. This is related to trends in the design of bodies: the windows become already, the roof, respectively, below. The roof area decreases due to the "locked" to its centre. All this inevitably leads to a reduction in the inner space.
All the more popular sport utility vehicles are 4-door coupe. One example is BMW X6, Nissan Juke, Acura ZDX and Range Rover Evoque. Classification and features of modern off-road bodies
Classification and features of modern off-road bodies
All modern off-road vehicles can be divided into two large categories: the shell and the bearing body. Cars from the first group have a rigid metal frame in which the chassis and the body itself are fixed. As opposed to them, the second frame is not present, and its functions are taken over by the body. The third type of construction, uniting the features of the first two: the so-called integrated frame, which is similar to the ordinary frame, is gaining popularity lately, but it is inseparable from the body.
Another mandatory condition for a real SUV is a complete drive.
In addition, modern off-road utility vehicles are compact, medium-sized and full size.