Although some SUVs have off-road capabilities, they often play only a secondary role, and SUVs often do not have the ability to switch among two-wheel and four-wheel-drive high gearing and four-wheel-drive low gearing. Not all SUVs have four-wheel drive capabilities, and not all four-wheel-drive passenger vehicles are SUVs. In Europe the term SUV has a similar meaning, but being newer than in the US it only applies to the newer street oriented one, where-as 'Jeep', 'Land Rover' or 4x4 are used for the off-roader oriented ones. Information and translations of SPORT UTILITY VEHICLE in the most comprehensive dictionary definitions resource on the web. The term is not used in all countries, and outside North America the terms 'off-road vehicle', 'four-wheel drive' or 'four-by-four' or simply use of the brand name to describe the vehicle like 'Jeep' or 'Land Rover' are more common. They are similar to a large station wagon or estate car, usually equipped with four-wheel drive for on- or off-road ability. Starting in 2004, the United States Environmental Protection Agency began to hold sport utility vehicles to the same tailpipe emissions standards as cars. A sport utility vehicle or suburban utility vehicle (SUV) is a vehicle classified as a light truck, but operated as a family vehicle. Since SUVs are considered light trucks in North America, and often share the same platform with pick-up trucks, at one time, they were regulated less strictly than passenger cars under the two laws in the United States, the Energy Policy and Conservation Act for fuel economy, and the Clean Air Act for emissions. Some SUVs include the towing capacity of a pickup truck with the passenger-carrying space of a minivan or large sedan.

Freebase (0.00 / 0 votes) Rate this definition:ДЄ sport utility vehicle is a vehicle similar to a station wagon or estate car, usually equipped with four-wheel drive for on- or off-road ability.

Sport utility wagon car