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Mini SUV is a class of small sport utility vehicles with a length under 4,100 mm (161.4 in). This class should not be confused with compact SUV, which refers to slightly larger vehicles, from 4,250 to 4,600 mm (167.3 to 181.1 in).
Early mini SUVs were off-road vehicles built on body-on-frame chassis, such as the Jeep Wrangler and Suzuki Samurai. Earlier mini SUVs are still often used due to their off-road prowess and more manageable size on the trail (for example, a large SUV might not fit in the narrower parts of the trail). The most capable off-road vehicles built earlier were mini SUVs due to them having been built for off-roading, while the trend for larger four-door SUV since the introduction of the Jeep Cherokee and the Ford Explorer has increasingly been toward family hauling and on-road use rather than hard off-roading.
However, current mini SUVs have followed a similar trend, usually having unibody construction and few off-road capabilities, falling into the crossover SUV category. They have substituted off-road cosmetic features, such as large black bumpers and slightly increased ground clearance.
Mini SUVs have become popular in some countries because of fashion trends: for example, wealthy young people buy them just to have a "different looking" car. An advantage over larger SUVs is the better fuel economy, which is very similar to subcompact cars / superminis.
In Japan, as cars under 3,400 mm (133.9 in) in length are classified as kei cars and attract lower taxes; some manufacturers build these cars with off-road looks (such as the Mitsubishi Pajero Mini).
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Examples
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Crossover
- Daihatsu Terios
- Fiat Sedici
- Honda CR-V
- Honda HR-V
- Lada Niva
- Suzuki Ignis
- Suzuki SX4/Fiat Sedici
- Mitsubishi Space Runner
- Škoda Yeti
Heavy duty
- AIL Storm
- Jeep Wrangler (except long-wheelbase Unlimited)
- Suzuki Samurai/Suzuki Jimny
- Troller T4
- LuAZ-967
See also
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