Spot the Difference: MPV, SUV, Crossover, which is which?
Francis Pallarco · Dec 8, 2022 05:30 PM
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Worry no more if you're shopping for a ride and are confused about why every high-rider is seemingly called an SUV nowadays. Know the key differences between an SUV, an MPV, and a Crossover to find the right car and Car Service for you.
History of utility vehicles from the Asian Utility Vehicle to the Crossover
What is an SUV?
What is a Crossover?
What is a Multi-Purpose Vehicle?
Which one reigns supreme?
Summary
Just like cars that are usually classified depending on their size and body style - subcompacts, compacts, and four-door sedans versus 2-door coupes, utility vehicles are also classified as either a Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV), an Asian Utility Vehicle (AUV) or a Multi-Purpose Vehicle (MPV).
While they all may look and function similarly, they have unique features. Take SUVs, for example; these are usually constructed with a body-on-frame chassis to ensure structural rigidity over rough roads.
More recently, the crossover, another subtype of SUV classified not because of its size but because of its construction, has become a popular mode of mobility. Unlike most ladder-frame SUVs, crossovers rely on a unibody chassis as their platform, similar to most sedans and coupes. Because of their unibody design, crossovers' inherent car-like handling, comfort, and finish have made them quite popular among car buyers in the last 25 years.
Here in the Philippines, the mid-size SUV has become the modern-day family car because of its size and innate ability to go effortlessly over rough roads. Built-upon ladder frames similar to pickups, these family vehicles have been marketed as the all-in-one solution to the country's bumpy roads and perennial flooding.
To better understand the types of utility vehicles available in the market, here is a quick rundown of each category and how they differ from one another.
The evolution of utility vehicles
Asian Utility Vehicle (AUV)
In the 1970s, when Sport Utility Vehicles weren’t introduced yet to the Philippine market, local car companies saw the Filipino's need for a budget-friendly people carrier. The inability of a regular car of that period to haul more than 4 or 5 people saw the introduction of the Asian Utility Vehicle in the local automotive market.
As defined by Philippine law, Asian Utility Vehicles must be fully enclosed with a seating capacity of ten passengers. This made it more like a modernized jeepney, as these were geared towards serving Filipino families or for commercial use.
Whenever AUV is mentioned, the first thing immediately comes to mind is the first-generation, seventies-era Toyota Tamaraw.
This was essentially a jeepney as it had the same layout and seating position but a more modern body style. It also gave rise to its equally famous counterpart and competition, the Ford Fiera and the Mitsubishi Cimarron.
While the Fiera and the Cimarron have long been forgotten and discontinued, the need for more alternative transport solutions during the nineties sparked a renewed demand for AUVs.
The most popular being the Toyota Tamaraw FX, followed by the Isuzu Highlander and the Mitsubishi Adventure.
Circa 1990s Toyota Tamaraw Photo from Wikimedia Commons
Ultimately, the Tamaraw was eventually replaced by the Revo during the late nineties, with the Highlander progressing to become the Crosswind.
It would take a few more years until the AUV would cease production due to competition with 7-seater Multi-Purpose Vehicles that offered more versatility in space and more comfort and performance. The AUVs were eventually replaced by MPVs, such as the Innova, along with the influx of seven-seater SUVs.
2023 Toyota Innova
However, in the mid-1990s, a new SUV genre became a mainstream draw. The Crossover, a small unibody car platform-based SUV, began to tickle the fancy of car buyers. The first-generation Toyota RAV-4 and the first-generation Honda CR-V popularized the new segment.
First-generation Honda CR-V
Both models demonstrated the viability and popularity of having a car with similar capabilities as an SUV but without the bulk and complicated operation.
Sport Utility Vehicle
While there is no commonly agreed-upon definition of what an SUV should be, considering that the term varies between countries, it is a vehicle that combines elements of ordinary passenger cars with off-road features, such as raised ground clearance and four-wheel drive capability.
This explains why the first modern SUV is widely considered the Jeep Cherokee, and from there, most car manufacturers started developing their SUV models.
As far as underpinnings are concerned, most modern SUVs utilize a body-on-frame construction over a unibody layout.
It was during the late 1990s and early 2000s when the popularity of SUVs significantly increased. Something that also led to the demise of the once popular family-oriented station wagon or estate.
Combining design elements and features found on small cars with the functionality of full-sized SUVs, one manufacturer has managed to address a niche and create a small SUV in its lineup. The Suzuki Jimny stands out in the market as the only ladder frame-based small SUV. Its retro-boxy looks and honest four-wheel drive system make it a natural and proper SUV.
A full-size SUV is characterized by its sheer size, capability to tow heavy loads, handle rough terrain, and ability to offer plenty of space for passengers and cargo with three rows of seats. These are usually built on ladder-frame chassis to guarantee robustness and durability.
The Crossover is a derivative of the SUV and often approximates it in terms of capabilities. Its high ground clearance gives it the ability to handle light off-road terrain. They usually come with a standard front-wheel-drive powertrain but almost always offer an automatic all-wheel-drive (AWD) system.
The names SUV and Crossover have been loosely applied over the years because both have similar design profiles. While it is acceptable to call Crossovers SUVs, strictly speaking, they are not the same. The main difference between a Crossover and an SUV is that the former is built around a unibody car platform instead of the ladder frame in actual Sport Utility Vehicles.
Crossovers are five to seven-seaters with car-like amenities. Because of their unibody construction, Crossovers handle more like light but taller cars than heavy trucks. This driving dynamic and the comfort and convenience Crossovers offered their users across broader operating parameters versus sedans led to strong global demand for this vehicle type. That is why most carmakers have invested in having a Crossover model for each size segment they are present.
With the popularity of the Crossover genre, manufacturers started to create crossover versions of their small car lineup to provide the market with a more affordable SUV-like option that retains a small car's lightness and fuel efficiency.
Ever since the success of the Toyota RAV-4 and Honda CR-V, car brands have attempted to emulate the compact car-SUV crossover formula with their existing lineups. Compact car unibody platforms offer more stability and larger space to build a Crossover. Small families have found Compact Crossovers appealing as they are powerful enough for highway applications yet stylish enough for everyday rides. Car-like amenities and comforts soon made Compact Crossovers the ideal vehicle for many applications.
Aside from size, the main highlight of the Mid-size Crossover is its ability to seat five to seven people over two to three rows. Usually built upon D-segment (large car) unibody platforms, Mid-size Crossovers sport larger engines, and more upscale comfort, convenience and safety features. Similarly targeted towards families and to executives and VIPs in the local setting, these five and seven-seater Crossovers offer a more premium ride and pricing versus their smaller counterparts.
Early MPVs were likewise based on the ladder frame shared with pickups and SUVs. The Toyota Innova was a prime example of how platform-sharing created a new product that had the functionality of an AUV and the comfort of an SUV. It was designed to seat at least seven people and had second and third-row seating that could be tumbled out of the way to accommodate longer and taller cargo.
Most MPVs have a configurable seating position, allowing them to seat 5 to 8. Because of their low roofline, they are referred to as minivans. But unlike minivans, MPVs have conventional swing-out doors instead of sliding ones.
Today's MPVs have further evolved in the name of comfort and have predominantly ditched the ladder frame. To cut costs and make manufacturing more efficient, carmakers have simplified their unibody platforms to accommodate not just cars but Crossover and MPV nameplates as well. Seven-seater MPVs can now be found using small car unibody platforms, giving rise to the subcompact MPV.
As its name suggests, the primary purpose of these vehicles is to carry people and have the capability to carry cargo or a combination of both.
Honestly, all of them are great and competent vehicles, each catering to the buyer's specific needs.
This is why it is essential to understand the key characteristics of each to gain a better understanding of what it has to offer and if it suits the needs of the car buyer.
Let’s start with the MPV; now, they are more car-like and primarily designed to transport a number of people in safety and comfort. Most models will carry between five and seven people and have ample room for luggage. This makes it like a modern iteration of a station wagon where the only thing that it can’t do that the SUV does is go off-roading.
Today's MPVs, on the other hand, are built more like modern cars. Utilizing a unibody construction, MPVs also offer better ride quality, improved safety, higher levels of ride comfort, and car-like amenities over the ladder-frame MPVs of old. They are designed to accommodate seven and have the space available to transform into a hauler when needed.
Hyundai Stargazer
Now SUVs, in general, are designed to be driven off-road as they come with four-wheel-drive capability. Not to mention being more robust as they are built on what amounts to be truck chassis. Another key feature of SUVs is their powerful engines. This makes them superior in terms of power output over MPVs.
Next-Gen Ford Everest
But if you're looking for stylish, practical, everyday comfort at a reasonable price, you might as well put your money down on a crossover. The good thing about this category is that there is a Crossover for every price range, size, and feature set required by the market. From five-seaters to eight, a Crossover brings comfort and dynamic, sporty styling together in a functional package.
Because of the strong demand for crossovers in all sizes, carmakers have ensured a contender model to serve the various crossover categories in as many markets as possible.
Mazda CX-5
Summary
Choosing the right vehicle can be daunting, but once you know your needs, intended purpose, and budget, it shouldn’t be difficult.
The traits above of each type of vehicle should give you an idea of what to expect.
To simplify things, remember these key traits:
An MPV is a minivan, or people carrier, designed to carry five to seven in comfort.
An SUV is designed primarily to be an on and off-road vehicle.
And a crossover is a mix between a family sedan and an SUV.
A veteran car enthusiast who's seen it all. From judging modded rides at major car shows to writing about the latest tech and tunes on four wheels, here's a gentleman who has the taste and know-how to do proper rides.
