bzcat Posted October 23, 2020 Share Posted October 23, 2020 (edited) 2 hours ago, akirby said: CUVs have higher ground clearance, higher seating and is taller than an AWD wagon. And yet, when I point out Subaru Outback has higher ground clearance and higher step-in height/seating position than the standard AWD Jeep Grand Cherokee, most of you still say that is a wagon. What you proposed are meaningless distinctions. What makes a CUV is marketing. Take Hyundai Kona and Kia Soul for example... they are fraternal twins - same platform, same drivetrain, developed together. They have the same ground clearance and same dimensions except Soul is actually a little taller than Kona. But Soul is a legacy nameplate that was originally launched as a hatchback (think back to the hamster ads!) so most people continue to think of it has a funky hatchback. Kona is a new nameplate that was launched as a CUV despite being physically lower than Soul so people think it is a CUV. Edited October 23, 2020 by bzcat 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted October 23, 2020 Share Posted October 23, 2020 5 minutes ago, bzcat said: And yet, when I point out Subaru Outback has higher ground clearance and higher step-in height/seating position than Jeep Grand Cherokee, most of you still say that is a wagon. What you proposed are meaningless distinctions. What makes a CUV is marketing. Take Hyundai Kona and Kia Soul for example... they are fraternal twins - same platform, same drivetrain, developed together. They have the same ground clearance and same dimensions except Soul is actually a little taller than Kona. But Soul was a legacy nameplate that was originally launched as a hatchback (think back to the hamster ads!) so most people continue to think of it has a funky hatchback. Kona was a new nameplate that was launched as a CUV despite being physically lower than Soul but it is a CUV. The new outbacks are tweeners at 66 inches tall. The older ones were only 60 inches tall. JGC is 69 inches tall. That’s the visual difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rperez817 Posted October 23, 2020 Share Posted October 23, 2020 (edited) 37 minutes ago, bzcat said: What makes a CUV is marketing. Thanks again bzcat sir, that sums it up perfectly. The "product" aspect of marketing a CUV isn't appreciably different from a wagon or hatchback, just (uglier) styling for the most part as I mentioned before. But the "promotion" aspect is. Marketing people at automakers and car dealerships have done a great job with advertising and PR getting consumers to associate CUV with outdoor adventures, exploring uncharted places, active lifestyle, etc., even though the vehicles themselves aren't anything special compared to regular wagons and hatchbacks. CUV promotion is one of the greatest successes in automotive marketing. Edited October 23, 2020 by rperez817 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoolScoop Posted October 23, 2020 Share Posted October 23, 2020 (edited) Autotrader's opinion is the Outback has graduated from a wagon to a SUV: https://www.autotrader.com/car-news/what-point-do-we-admit-subaru-outback-now-suv-281474979889004 So will the Fusion Active will be consdered a wagon or SUV? Edited October 23, 2020 by CoolScoop Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted October 23, 2020 Share Posted October 23, 2020 38 minutes ago, rperez817 said: The "product" aspect of marketing a CUV isn't appreciably different from a wagon or hatchback, just (uglier) styling for the most part as I mentioned before. You got that right. Wagons are generally uglier than crossovers. You keep saying it's "image" but the truth is people simply like certain styles of vehicles better than others. And you're completely overlooking the height issue. Crossovers are much easier for entry and exit and have a higher seating position. Yet they still offer car-like ride quality and as many if not more amenities than sedans. And similar fuel economy. In the past you had to give up a lot to drive a SUV. CUVs don't have those downsides. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpd80 Posted October 23, 2020 Share Posted October 23, 2020 (edited) Were way beyond terms like CUV SUV and Euro MPV being just marketing talk pushing the same thing. distinctive styling traits have evolved over the years with the mix of ground clearance and the proportions of the door / body height vs window / roof height, and then there's hatchback vs square back. The Subaru Outback began as a jacked up sports stationwagon but it's body / door proportions have changed to broaden its appeal away from the original niche buyers. There's a corridor or sweet spot of body proportions that American buyers like or at least prefer in SUVs and CUVs but that doesn't exclude iconic vehicle shapes like Bronco or Wrangler. All of this may have begun as marketing but the exodus of buyers from cars to utilities has created a huge new market that beckons opportunity to develop variations that are seen as important by buyers. Edited October 23, 2020 by jpd80 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmc523 Posted October 24, 2020 Share Posted October 24, 2020 8 hours ago, CoolScoop said: Autotrader's opinion is the Outback has graduated from a wagon to a SUV: https://www.autotrader.com/car-news/what-point-do-we-admit-subaru-outback-now-suv-281474979889004 So will the Fusion Active will be consdered a wagon or SUV? Considering Ford was going to call the Focus Active a "crossover", I'm sure they'll brand it as one. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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