There is some truth in arguing that the concept of the SUV – which is an acronym for Sport Utility Vehicle – is in some way connected to the legacy of World War II. Indeed, it was in 1946 that a particular type of off-road vehicle, the Jeep Wagon, also known as ‘Willys Wagon', made its début: a simple and square estate car, with a higher ride and four-wheel drive. It was built on a chassis with beams, like the legendary Jeep that had brought American soldiers to the battlefields. The model was produced in several versions until 1965, when the Jeep Wagoneer was launched. This version is considered to be the ‘mother' of luxury SUVs, with its characteristic wooden sides, and it was sold until 1991. This is the story bearing stars and stripes, made with a simple design and large displacement petrol engines. Yet the development of SUVs up to their current market dominance is an all-European affair
Merit goes to Land Rover
Across the Atlantic, it could only be the British – the great protagonists of the conflict alongside the American allies – who interpreted the ‘rough and tough' philosophy on off-road vehicles, starting with Land Rover's Defender, which went on to become an icon and, incidentally, transformed into an SUV in the current generation, with the blessing of purists. In any case, the Sports Utility Vehicles can be considered a ‘spin off' of their ancestors (evidently war-derived and with an off-road soul), flanking them during the 1990s and then almost replacing them entirely. The 1970 Range Rover and the 1974 Jeep Cherokee can be considered to be the forerunners of this phenomenon. Upon its arrival in Europe in 1983, the 1974 Jeep Cherokee was driven (according to the agreement between Renault and Chrysler) by a 2.1 French turbodiesel. Nor should it be forgotten that beyond the Iron Curtain, in 1977 an off-road was launched with special SUV features, namely the Lada Niva. And the same year, the French Matra-Simca presented the Rancho, which already embraced the initial concept of Crossover-SUV: it was a normal car, with front-wheel drive but with an off-road set-up and with the characteristics of space and versatility typical of the SUVs.
The dawn of the premium versions
While the Eighties saw the coexistence with the classic off-road vehicle, starting with bodywork that was a little less ‘tough' and slightly more stylish silhouettes, the Nineties were the years during which the true story of SUVs began. In 1994, Toyota surpasses the Land Cruiser, creating the compact Rav: a normal car, based on the floor of the Corolla, with high wheels to ensure the passenger compartment was in a privileged position and offer the driveability of a saloon car. Three years later came the first premium SUV: the American built and inspired Mercedes-Benz ML Class. It is luxurious, impressive at the time (it was 459 cm long) but with the brand's typical feeling and another lucid corporate decision: four-wheel drive or rear-wheel drive with optional front-wheel drive. So an off-road vehicle only when needed, not by nature. BMW responded two years later with the X5, also built in the USA, and with another important novelty: it has the load-bearing body so it isn't a car with an off-road soul yet. An innovative idea, just like the decision to define it as a SAV: Sport Activity Vehicle, to underline its lively performance and use.
Yesterday, today and tomorrow
25 years later, the SUV phenomenon continues to characterise the automotive industry with impressive figures, which are further boosted by the advent of electric vehicles. This makes it only fair to point out some of the records in history. For example, the 1998 Honda HR-V is unquestionably the ancestor of B-SUVs, which are now market leaders. The ‘mother' of the SUV-coupé, currently the top in circulation, is the ultra-sophisticated 2007 BMW X6 even though some people consider it to be the Ssangyong Rexton from two years earlier. Only the innovative Tesla could think of an electric gull-wing SUV such as the 2015 Model X, while on the luxury front, first place is occupied by Bentley with its 2016 Bentayga. It costs over 200,000 Euros, which is what fifteen Dacia Dusters cost (the first low-cost SUV in history). The Lamborghini Urus is definitely ranked at the top of the price list too, at about 230,000 Euros, but owning it means being able to drive the first SUV with the performance of a supercar in the light of the 650 HP power and near-competition ride. But it all started with those dear old Jeeps which climbed everywhere. And it isn't over yet, on the contrary.
