A crossover SUV or XUV is an automobile with a sport utility vehicle appearance but is built upon a more economical and fuel-efficient car-based platform.
Nissan’s new baby crossover, the Juke, is scheduled to make its debut at the Geneva Motor Show, but according to Nissan, they’re planning to release the first batch of official photos and technical specifications a little ahead of schedule.
The official photos of the Juke will be released on Wednesday, February 10, giving all of us a sneak peek of the crossover that is being touted as being based on the polarizing Qazana concept that was unveiled last year.
Despite supposedly looking like the Qazana concept, the Juke is still expected to have a few unique modifications of its own. More importantly, Nissan will also be releasing details behind the car, which should end speculation regarding the performance capabilities of the baby crossover.
After its unveiling at the Geneva Motor Show concludes, Nissan is expected to start producing the Juke where, according to Carlos Tavares, chairman of Nissan America, the crossover is expected to find its way into dealerships in the US sometime towards the latter part of the year.
When you do see an animated squirrel in one of the commercials that will air during the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl please don’t think that’s it a trailer for a one of those new CGI 3D movies.
The commercial is actually for Honda’s new Accord Crosstour and it shows the said squirrel – or is it chipmunk? – moving a number of different things, including a pineapple, a trophy, and a set of weights into what turns out to be the cargo area of the Crosstour.
Don’t ask us why Honda chose a squirrel or why they decided to go the animated route for their Super Bowl commercial. But quirkiness aside, the commercial does touch significantly on the large storage space of the Accord Crosstour, which, incidentally, is one of the selling points of the new car.
The Mercedes Benz GLK is the German automaker’s entry into the compact crossover segment and with its swept back two box body, the new CUV is clearly derived from the rugged G Wagen, offering the same bold features that made the mighty Geländewagen so popular, except in a much smaller package. We joked about how our Mars Red GLK 350 looks like a red hot roller skate with its optional oversized 20 inch alloys pushed to the far corners of its chassis, but the GLK is certainly nothing to laugh about. The GLK offers new car shoppers a luxurious option when looking to buy into this new segment. Despite its compact nature, our out of this world GLK has styling to spare and is a welcome addition to the Mercedes Benzlineup. The GLK’s size not only makes it easy to park, but also quite maneuverable in traffic and combined with the safety of 6 airbags, makes it a great choice for new car buyers.
The inside of our GLK 350 features an Almond/Black Leather interior along with the Full Leather Seating Package that, as the name suggests, includes cow hide derived upholstery and a leather wrapped multifunction steering wheel as well as elegant Burl Walnut trim to go along with the standard brushed aluminum pieces. The infotainment system is made up of a Harman/Kardon Logic 7 surround sound system that will play everything from MP3s being stored on an iPod to Sirius Satellite radio as well as a hard drive based navigation system and a 7 inch LCD screen to let the driver in on all that is going on.
The GLK 350 is powered by a 3.5 Liter V6 sending 268 HP straight to the rear wheels through a seven speed automatic transmission allows the GLK to accelerate smoothly and get an estimated 16 MPG in the city and as much as 22 MPG on the highway. This sporty red GLK is a more affordable alternative than the last one we saw, especially when you consider the $3,150 Premium Package that includes just about power everything at a savings of over $1,200 if purchased separately. Tack on a very reasonable $970 for the brushed roof rails and plus sized wheel and tires amongst a few other items, this $34,600 GLK added up to a nicely equipped $45,645 premium CUV.
The Cadillac SRX was unveiled at the 2009 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, and is going on sale starting at $33,330 for the base 3.0 Liter V6 powered front wheel drive version and climbs all the way up to $51,360 for the 2.8 Liter six cylinder Turbo Premium version. As the Cadillac of crossovers enters its second generation, completely redesigned SRX delivers a dynamic alternative in terms of visual appeal and driving character to ordinary CUVs with its downsized fuel efficient gas burning engines. The SRX comes standard with a front wheel drive layout and is available with all wheel drive as an option. The Cadillac crossover is built atop a version of General Motors’ Theta platform that is also used for the new Chevrolet Equinox and the Epsilon II platform that is also used for the European Opel Insignia.
The 2010 Cadillac SRX is powered by a choice of two six cylinder power plants, both new to the luxury arm of GM. The standard offering is a 3.0 Liter unit that produces 260 HP and the optional 2.8 Liter turbocharged mill makes a maximum output of 300 HP and thanks to direct gasoline injection reduces emissions by about a quarter. The engines are mated to a Hydra-Matic 6T70 six speed automatic transmission that helps saving fuel by lowering the engine’s RPM when cruising at speed and is good for as much as 25 MPG on the highway.
The 2010 model retains the majority of the design features from the concept, and although the original was designed with aerodynamics in mind due to the fact that it was an electric fuel cell vehicle, this only translates into increased fuel economy for the gas burning production vehicle. The interior of the all new SRX is unmistakably Cadillac, finished with premium materials and completed in style just like the CTS luxury sport sedan.
The American automaker Chrylser is accredited with the invention of the minivan back in the 1980s, however in an ever changing world of economy conscious consumers they are blazing a new trail with the more compact crossover utility vehicle offering the practicality of a wagon with the looks of an SUV and the ride of a car thanks to the crossover’s unibody underpinnings. The Dodge Journey is Chrysler’s latest addition to the CUV segment and our Deep Water Blue Pearl people mover came with all of the familiar features that define the crossover as well as a few unique touches that we think no soccer mom should go without.
After all that is what the Journey is all about, to provide consumers with practical transportation that can carry an entire extended family and all their stuff with a smaller footprint than the now frowned upon sport utility vehicle. For most CUV shoppers, third row seating is a must, and the Journey certainly delivers. Offering room for up to seven our bright blue crossover came complete with a host of high tech creature comforts like an infotainment system that brings everything from a large LCD navigation display to an in dash DVD player with SIRIUS Backseat TV, flip down 8 inch monitor and wireless headphones to ensure that mommy and daddy can enjoy the drive undisturbed as well as quite a few clever chilled storage compartments including a pair of in floor coolers.
The Dodge Journey clearly shares a resemblance to its minivan predecessors continuing the classic two box shape and crossbar grill but adds a bit of flair with a pair of headlamps that sweep back into the front fenders and a set of bulging arches at all four corners. Our Journey’s chrome clad wheels, measuring a rather large 19 inches in diameter, made the blue pear paint pop while the roof line tapered back creating a sort of tear drop effect making it look like a much more dynamic vehicle. Our car came with the optional 3.5 Liter V6 that pumps out 235 HP and gets and estimated 16 MPG around town and as much as 23 MPG on the highway. Starting off at $23,925 and our extremely well equipped Journey SXT is optioned all the way up to $33,375 and the fact that it has been awarded consecutive Top Safety Pick honors from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety makes the Journey an excellent choice for the family on the go.
When we first received the Toyota Highlander into the Top Speed test fleet we immediately noticed just how big the Salsa Red Pearl crossover from Japan really is. Even our base model Highlander came rather well equipped, and is the perfect new car for a growing family on a budget. The Highlander that Toyota chose for us to drive is representative of the automaker’s high quality economical transportation options.
The CUV came with everything you need to get the job done, like third row seating and plenty of interior space to go along with the comfortable ride, minus a few of the pricey creature comforts that the segment has become synonymous with; keeping the new car’s price well in the affordable range. On the outside, everything about the Highlander is big, like the oversized grill and machined six spoke alloys measuring 17 inches in diameter, giving the crossover a more powerful presence rather than a playful persona, unlike the majority of the CUV field. Meanwhile the interior is spacious and wrapped in cloth continuing the cost effective crossover theme.
Although Toyota offers both V6 and Hybrid equipped Highlanders, under the hood our car came equipped with a rather large 2.7 Liter VVT-i four cylinder engine cranking out 187 HP and a gas sipping six speed automatic transmission that is good for 20 MPG in the city and as much as 27 MPG at highway speeds. The package is more than enough to scoot the nearly two ton crossover around town comfortably, all for under $26,000.
When it comes to the unconventional, no other car brand can hold a candle to MINI. The BMW-owned brand’s image of peculiarity has become somewhat of a staple for them and MINI has even embraced that image to promote their new line-up of cars, as evidenced by their seemingly growing fascination with the swirly camouflage
Enamored by the psychedelic look of the black and yellow swirlies, MINI decided to base their new teaser video of their new Crossover model with the vehicle wrapped under a blanket of black and yellow swirly camouflage.
And just so they don’t give too much away, they even went so far as to use the same design on the city background the car is driving on.
To be honest, we don’t know of any other car brand that can use this type of imaging and get away with it. After all, no other brand has lived up to their unconventional image like MINI has done over the years.
According to MINI, the new Crossover model is set to make its world debut on February 7 where the brand is expected to unveil the car online, making it more likely that the first official photos of the Crossover model will be released on that day.
The small car builder Mini made a name for itself on the Alpine stages of classic rally championships, and it rumored to be making a comeback in the much depleted WRC for 2011 and should be unveiled in March at the Geneva Motor Show. Similar to the Beachcomber Concept, the new Mini Countryman is a slightly larger Cooper wearing the same headlights and fog lamps, however the front end is specific to the future model especially with its unique grill and Pepper White paint scheme topped off with a black roof.
The Countryman will be offered with a choice of three petrol and two diesel engines, with power ranging from 90 hp in the MINI One D Countryman to 184 hp in the MINI Cooper S Countryman. The 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine in the top model comes for the first time not only with a twin-scroll turbocharger and direct fuel injection, but also with fully variable valve management.
Underneath the four door Countryman Mini will utilize their new ALL4 drive, an electrohydraulic differential positioned directly on the final drive varying the distribution from front to rear in an infinite process.
Sales will begin at the end of 2010.
Updated 01/21/10: Mini revealed today the official video of the Countryman. Check them out and you will see the small SUV in action!
Mitsubishi will unveil the ASX Compact Crossover at the Geneva Motor Show and will go on sale across European dealers in the spring of 2010. The ASX CUV is the European-spec version of the diamond star’s RVR from Japan and will be powered by an all new 1.8 Liter turbocharged direct injection diesel ready to meat Europe’s stringent Bin 5 emissions standard and in order to further decrease pollutants and increase efficiency the ASX will also feature "Automatic Stop & Go" technology along with a fuel sipping 6 speed manual transmission.
Even if the German automaker just launched the BMW X1, the compact crossover is already undergoing its first round of changes. Even though the sheet metal will remain the same, as of March 2010 BMW will offer the smaller CUV with two new fuel efficient power plants and a few new colors like: Space Grey, Cashmere Silver, Tasman, Sparkling Bronze, and Graphite Blue metallic to dress up the diminutive sport activity vehicle.
The X1 sDrive18i which will be powered by a 150 HP gas burning four cylinder and the new BMW X1 xDrive25i will have a straight six under the hood cranking out a total of 218 HP. Thanks to BMW’s VALVETRONIC variable valve management system, double-VANOS powered camshaft timing and the DISA adjustable length intake manifold; the manual version of the sDrive18i can get from 0 to 60 MPH in 9.7 seconds and reach a top speed of 125 MPH. Meanwhile the slush box equipped X1 is a bit slower to 60 MPH, getting there in 10.4 seconds and topping out at 124 MPH. The more powerful xDrive25i features an integrated all wheel drive system standard and a six speed automatic transmission. The six cylinder sprints from 0 to 60 MPH in 7.9 seconds and will reach a top speed of 138 MPH.
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