Mini SUV is a class of small sport utility vehicles with a length under 4100 mm (165 in). This class should not be confused with compact SUV, which refers to slightly larger vehicles, between 4250 and 4600 mm (170-185 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 used much 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 their strict building for the off-roading job, whereas ever since the introduction of the Jeep Cherokee and the Ford Explorer, the larger four-door SUV has become increasingly more aimed toward family hauling and on-road use rather than hard off-roading. However, current mini SUVs usually have unibody construction and few off-road capabilities, falling into the crossover SUV category. They have substitute 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 3400 mm in length are classified as kei cars and pay less taxes; some manufacturers build these cars with off-road looks (such as the Mitsubishi Pajero Mini).
Mini SUVs
See also
| Car classification |
| American English |
British English |
Segment (used in Europe) |
Euro NCAP class |
Examples |
| Microcar |
Microcar, Bubble car |
- |
- |
BMW Isetta, Smart Fortwo |
| - |
City car |
A-segment |
Supermini |
Daewoo Matiz, Renault Twingo, Toyota Aygo, VW Lupo |
| Subcompact car |
Supermini |
B-segment |
Hyundai Accent, Ford Fiesta, Opel Corsa, Suzuki Swift |
| Compact car |
Small family car |
C-segment |
Small family car |
Ford Focus, Toyota Corolla, Opel Astra, VW Golf |
| Mid-size car |
Large family car |
D-segment |
Large family car |
Ford Mondeo, Opel Vectra, Toyota Avensis, VW Passat |
| Entry-level luxury car |
Compact executive car |
Audi A4, BMW 3 Series, Mercedes C-Class |
| Full-size car |
Executive car |
E-segment |
Executive car |
Ford Crown Victoria, Holden Commodore, Opel Omega |
| Mid-size luxury car |
Audi A6, BMW 5 Series, Mercedes E-Class |
| Full-size luxury car |
Luxury car |
F-segment |
- |
Audi A8, BMW 7 Series, Mercedes S-Class |
| Sports car |
Sports car |
- |
- |
Chevrolet Corvette C6, Porsche 911 |
| Grand tourer |
Grand tourer |
- |
- |
Jaguar XK, Maserati GranTurismo |
| Supercar |
Supercar |
- |
- |
Bugatti Veyron, Ferrari Enzo |
| Convertible |
Convertible |
- |
- |
Mercedes CLK, Volvo C70, VW Eos |
| Roadster |
Roadster |
- |
Roadster sports |
Audi TT, BMW Z4, Porsche Boxster |
| - |
Leisure activity vehicle |
B-segment |
Small MPV |
Peugeot Partner, Škoda Roomster |
| - |
Mini MPV |
B-segment |
Opel Meriva, Fiat Idea, Ford Fusion |
| Compact minivan |
Compact MPV, Midi MPV |
C-segment |
Mazda5, Opel Zafira, Renault Scénic, VW Touran |
| Minivan |
Large MPV |
D-segment |
Large MPV |
Ford Galaxy, Toyota Previa, Renault Espace |
| Mini SUV |
Mini 4x4 |
B-segment |
Small Off-Road 4x4 |
Daihatsu Terios, Mitsubishi Pajero iO , Suzuki Jimny |
| Compact SUV |
Compact 4x4 |
C/D-segment |
Honda CR-V, BMW X3, Ford Explorer, Toyota RAV4 |
| - |
Coupé SUV |
C/D-segment |
- |
Isuzu VehiCROSS, SsangYong Actyon, BMW X6 |
| Mid-size SUV |
Large 4x4 |
E-segment |
Large Off-Road 4x4 |
BMW X5, Jeep Grand Cherokee, VW Touareg |
| Full-size SUV |
F-segment |
Cadillac Escalade, Chevrolet Suburban, Range Rover, Toyota Land Cruiser |
| Pickup truck |
Pick-up |
- |
Pick-up |
Ford F-150, Mitsubishi Triton/L200, Nissan Navara |
|
