Sport utility vehicle

A sport utility vehicle (SUV, sometimes called a sports utility wagon) is a vehicle similar to a station wagon or estate car that is usually equipped with four-wheel drive for on-road or off-road ability. Some SUVs include the towing capacity of a pickup truck with the passenger-carrying space of a minivan or large sedan.

Definitions

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, a "sport utility vehicle" is "a rugged automotive vehicle similar to a station wagon but built on a light-truck chassis". The "SUV" term is defined as "a large vehicle that is designed to be used on rough surfaces but that is often used on city roads or highways." The "SUV" acronym "is still used to describe nearly anything with available all-wheel drive and raised ground clearance."

North America

There are a number of definitions for an SUV. Most government regulations simply have categories for "off-highway vehicles," which in turn are lumped in with pickup trucks and minivans as light trucks." The auto industry has not settled on one definition.