Moreover, luxury brands have been adding SUVs to their lineups lately. One expects luxury vehicles to be more distinctive than high-volume equivalents, though that seems to be less the case than it was decades ago. And given that SUVs tend to have more constrained basic shapes than even current wind-tunnel tested sedans, I became curious as to how much style variation might be found in a sample of such brands and vehicles.
Results are in the images below. Cars are shown side-view because that reveals their packaging better than other viewpoints that tend to favor brand-specific identification ornamentation. Marques are in alphabetical order.
Not a luxury SUV, but a contemporary and popular example included as a reference point. It rides on a shorter wheelbase than the luxury SUVs, and consequently has a narrower rear passenger door. All the vehicles shown here have a lip overhanging the rear window (backlight), a feature dictated by wind-tunnel test. Aside from sheet metal sculpting, SUV designers have their greatest stylistic freedom in shaping the aft side windows and the slope of the cars' sterns.
Clearly manufacturers are running out of good names for car models. This Bentley has the trace of a rear fender providing a visual link to its sporty Continental line. This is its most distinctive feature, but not part of the basic body architecture. The aft is more greatly sloped than the Honda's and its hood is longer. My overall impression is that it's bulky.
This BMW SUV features a comparatively long hood and short front overhang. Rear slope is less than that of the Honda. The passenger compartment greenhouse is high in part due to a slightly low beltline. Its aft side window is larger than most others. Overall, the impression is boxy.
Cadillac's main SUV is its large, boxy Escalade. I thought I would show its smaller, less-popular XT5 instead due to its styling. An XT6 is on the way, but few photos are available as this post is being drafted. Features include a rising beltline and an aft slope similar to Bentley's. Small, angular aft side window.
Tapered side-window treatment similar to the Cadillac's, but less angular. Hood and overhang setup is like the BMW's. And the aft slope is steep like the Bentley's, so carrying capacity seems secondary to sportiness -- the key factor for Jags and Bentleys.
This Maserati is a trifle more sporty than the Bentley and Jaguar, if aft slope matters. Its roofline is the most curved of the lot, making the car almost a hatchback four-door sedan instead of a SUV (the Subaru Crosstrek is a similar case). Very short side windows due to a high beltline. Like the Bentley, there's a trace of a rear fender, but it's cosmetic and unrelated to our main objective here.
Rolls sedans are shaped like bricks -- I assume the idea is to look imposing. This SUV builds on that base, featuring a tall passenger greenhouse atop a high beltline. All side windows are large, and there's also a large C-pillar. Front overhang is short. Aft slope is considerable, but not as extreme as the Maserati's, thereby reducing visual bulk ever so slightly. Carrying capacity seems great, however. Side sculpting is minimal.
All these luxury SUVs, aside from perhaps the Cadillac, are longer than typical mid-range SUVs found in North America. Excepting the BMW, the slopes of the backlights (rear windows) tend to be fairly great, providing a sporting appearance and less capacity for hauling large, tall objects in their cargo zones.
The Maserati and Rolls-Royce have the most distinctive shapes. The former is this most graceful (and least SUV-like), the latter is the most boxy (though the BMW comes close). I won't consider overall attractiveness here because that involves frontal and rear styling as well as side sculpting and other ornamentation.
The Subaru Crosstrek is isn't really an SUV/Crossover at all. It's a butched up Subaru Impreza hatchback. Same thing as a Subaru Outback, which is a butched up Legacy wagon. In both cases we don't get the un-butched up version of the body style but just the sedan versions, I guess to make the Outback/Crosstrek seem more like its own car. In the early 90's Subaru did sell both the Legacy wagon and the original Outback wagon. My sister wanted a AWD wagon and decided to just get the Legacy AWD version - same thing an inch lower and no cladding, and a lot cheaper. The Buick Regal TourX wagon is the same deal. They sell the normal Opel Insignia in Europe but not here.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of - for comparison with the Honda CR-V you should have included the Subaru Forester - too much styling vs hardly any.
Yeah, SUV fever is in Europe also. Cars that were MPV/minivan/people mover style are being replaced with more SUV-like models, maybe without even an AWD option.
Which reminds me, French cars are back in the US - well sort of. The GM designed Opel/Vauxhall Insignia is a GM design now built under Peugeot management. Maybe a few French bits have sneaked in.
ReplyDeleteOh, just noticed I forgot to mention the Buick Regal is the same thing as an Insignia, and unlike the previous one which after the initial introduction was made here, is made in Germany. So you can buy a genuine German-French car at your local GM Buick dealer.
ReplyDeleteMe again...oops, Subaru does sell a hatchback Impreza that isn't a Crosstrek in the US. I've just never seen one. No non-Outbacked Legacy wagon though.
ReplyDeleteThe aft side windows on these things are terrible for rear sightlines. We bought a small SUV for my wife a couple of years ago and rejected the CR-V almost solely for that reason. Got a Forester, which is not very stylish, but has fantastic visibility.
ReplyDelete