Compact crossover SUV is an automobile classification used mainly in North America to describe a segment of

crossover SUV A crossover, crossover SUV, or crossover utility vehicle (CUV) is a type of automobile with an increased ride height that is built on unibody chassis construction shared with passenger cars, as opposed to traditional sport utility vehicles ( ...

, a type of

sport utility vehicle A sport utility vehicle (SUV) is a car classification that combines elements of road-going passenger cars with features from off-road vehicles, such as raised ground clearance and four-wheel drive. There is no commonly agreed-upon definitio ...

, between

subcompact crossover SUV Subcompact crossover SUV is an automobile segment used to describe the smallest segment of crossover SUV, a type of sport utility vehicle, below the compact crossover SUV. Subcompact crossover SUVs are usually based on a platform of a subcompact ...

and

mid-size crossover SUV Mid-size crossover SUV is an automobile classification used mainly in North America to describe a segment of crossover SUV, a type of sport utility vehicle, between compact crossover SUV and full-size crossover SUV. A mid-size crossover SU ...

. By late 2010s, the segment has emerged as the most popular automobile segment in several regions. For example, nearly 1 in every 4 cars sold in the United States in 2019 is a compact crossover, precisely at about 24.2 percent. The best-selling vehicle in the segment in 2020 was the

Toyota RAV4 The is a compact crossover SUV produced by the Japanese automobile manufacturer Toyota. Considered the first ever compact crossover SUV, it made its debut in Japan and Europe in 1994, and in North America in 1995, being launched in January 19 ...

, with 995,762 units sold globally. It is also the second best-selling automobile in the world after the Toyota Corolla.

Terminology

The term "compact crossover SUV" is most commonly used in the North America, where the "

compact car Compact car is a vehicle size class — predominantly used in North America — that sits between subcompact cars and mid-size cars. "Small family car" is a British term and a part of the C-segment in the European car classification. However, p ...

" and "crossover" terms originated from. It is also known as C-segment SUV or C-SUV. The naming of the segment also differ depending on the market. In several regions outside North America, the category may be known as "mid-size/medium crossover" or "mid-size/medium SUV", which differs with the more common mid-size crossover SUV definition, which is a class above.

Characteristics

Compact crossovers are usually based on the platform of a

(

C-segment The C-segment is the 3rd category of the European segments for passenger cars and is described as "medium cars". It is equivalent to the Euro NCAP "small family car" size class, and the compact car category in the United States. In 2011, the C- ...

), while some models may be based on a mid-size car (

D-segment The D-segment is the 4th category of the European segments for passenger cars, and is described as "large cars". It is equivalent to the Euro NCAP "large family car" size class, and the present-day definition of the mid-size car category use ...

) or an enlarged B-segment platform. The majority of models in the compact crossover category have two-row seating, while some of others offer three-row seating. Vehicles in this segment typically has an exterior length ranging between and . Due to its popularity and to cater customer needs, many manufacturers offer more than one compact crossover, usually offering them in slightly different sizes at different price points. American magazine ''

Car and Driver ''Car and Driver'' (''CD'' or ''C/D'') is an American automotive enthusiast magazine. In 2006 its total circulation was 1.23 million. It is owned by Hearst Magazines, who purchased prior owner Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S. in 2011. It was f ...

'' stated "so many of these vehicles are crowding the marketplace, simply sorting through them can be a daunting task".

Markets

United States

The first compact crossover was the 1980

AMC Eagle AMC may refer to: Film and television * AMC Theatres, an American movie theater chain * AMC Networks, an American entertainment company ** AMC (TV channel) ** AMC+, streaming service ** AMC Networks International, an entertainment company *** ...

that was based on the compact-sized

Concord Concord may refer to: Meaning "agreement" * Pact or treaty, frequently between nations (indicating a condition of harmony) * Harmony, in music * Agreement (linguistics), a change in the form of a word depending on grammatical features of other ...

line. Its four-wheel drive system was an almost unheard-of feature on regular passenger cars at the time and it came with full-time all-wheel drive, automatic transmission, power steering, power front disk brakes standard as well as numerous convenience and comfort options. Later models included the 1994

, 1995 Honda CR-V, 1997

Subaru Forester The is a compact crossover SUV that has been manufactured by Subaru since 1997. The first generation was built on the platform of the Impreza in the style of a taller station wagon, a style that continued to the second generation, while the thi ...

, 2000

Nissan X-Trail The is a compact crossover SUV produced by the Japanese automaker Nissan since 2000. Since its introduction, the X-Trail is positioned below the truck-based Xterra and Pathfinder. Since the third-generation model, the X-Trail became the same ve ...

, 2000

Mazda Tribute The (''Code J14'') is a compact SUV made by Japanese automaker Mazda from 2000 to 2011. It was jointly developed with Ford Motor Company and based on the front-wheel drive Mazda 626 platform, which was in turn the basis for the similar Ford Esc ...

, and the 2001

Ford Escape The Ford Escape is a compact crossover SUV sold by Ford since 2000 over four generations. The first generation was jointly developed with Mazda which also created the Mazda Tribute and Mercury Mariner as the twin model. Second generations of th ...

. Between 2005 and 2010, the market share of compact crossovers in the US has increased from 6 percent to 11.2 percent. In 2014, for the first time ever, sales of compact crossovers have outpaced mid-size sedans in the United States. File:2019 Toyota RAV4 Adventure (United States) front view (cropped).jpg,

(407,739 sold) File:2020 Honda CR-V EX-L (facelift), front 11.30.21.jpg, Honda CR-V (361,271 sold) File:2021 Nissan Rogue SV AWD, front 1.1.21.jpg,

Nissan Rogue The Nissan Rogue is a compact crossover SUV produced by the Japanese automobile manufacturer Nissan. It made its debut in October 2007 for the 2008 model year. Beginning in 2013 for the 2014 model year, the model has been paralleled with the X- ...

(285,602 sold including the Rogue Sport)

Europe

In the European market, several analysts and agencies divided the segment into two, the smaller ones ("compact" or "C-SUV"), and the larger vehicles ("mid-size" or "D-SUV"), with the latter usually longer than with some models offering three-row seating. In 2021, the combined segments in Europe recorded 3,055,770 sales according to data from JATO Dynamics, representing 26 percent of the market. The

Nissan Qashqai The Nissan Qashqai () is a compact crossover SUV (C-segment) developed and produced by the Japanese car manufacturer Nissan since 2006. The first generation of the vehicle was sold under the name in Japan and Australia, and Qashqai in other marke ...

played a significant role of growing and popularising the segment. Introduced in 2006, at the time it was Nissan's only vehicle in the C-segment space in Europe since the company discontinued the Almera hatchback and saloon. The vehicle was credited to start the trend for compact crossovers in Europe, with their advantage being high-riding and rugged-looking family cars, while not having the high running costs usually associated with off-roaders. It led the segment since its introduction until 2019, when the Volkswagen Tiguan took its place. In 2016, two out of three vehicles sold in the segment were produced by Renault–Nissan,

Volkswagen Group Volkswagen AG (), known internationally as the Volkswagen Group, is a German multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, Germany. The company designs, manufactures and distributes passenger and commercial ...

and

Hyundai Motor Group The Hyundai Motor Group (HMG; ; ; stylized as HYUΠDAI) is a South Korean '' chaebol'' (loosely similar to a multinational conglomerate but without a central holding company or ownership structure) headquartered in Seoul, South Korea. The HM ...

. File:Hyundai Tucson (NX4) IMG 3676.jpg,

Hyundai Tucson The Hyundai Tucson ( ko, 현대 투싼) (pronounced Tu-són) is a compact crossover SUV (C-segment) produced by the South Korean manufacturer Hyundai since 2004. In the brand's lineup, the Tucson is positioned below the Santa Fe, and above the Ko ...

(149,170 sold) File:2021 Peugeot 3008 B Hybrid IMG 4839.jpg,

Peugeot 3008 The Peugeot 3008 is a compact crossover SUV manufactured and marketed by Peugeot. It was first presented to the public in Dubrovnik, Croatia in 2008, and then again in 2010 at the Mondial de l'Automobile in Paris, by the French manufacturer Peuge ...

(140,015 sold) File:VW Tiguan Life (II, Facelift) – f 03012021.jpg,

Volkswagen Tiguan The Volkswagen Tiguan () is a car produced by German manufacturer Volkswagen since 2007, sitting between the smaller T-Roc and the larger Touareg in the company's crossover SUV range. The first generation is based on the PQ46 platform, while ...

(133,558 sold)

Australia

The segment is commonly known as "medium SUV" in the region. In 2021, it is the second-largest automobile segment in the market after pickup trucks at 180,000 units from 19 different models, which contributed 17.2 percent of total automobile sales in Australia.

Luxury vehicles

Numerous

luxury car A luxury car is a car that provides increased levels of comfort, equipment, amenities, quality, performance, and associated status compared to moderately priced cars. The term is subjective and reflects both the qualities of the car and the ...

brands marketed compact crossover SUVs, usually as an entry-level SUV offering of the respective brands. It is known by many terms such as compact luxury crossover SUV, luxury compact SUV, premium small SUV, premium compact crossover, luxury small SUV, among others. Compact luxury crossover SUVs are usually based on the platform of a

mid-size car Mid-size—also known as intermediate—is a vehicle size class which originated in the United States and is used for cars larger than compact cars and smaller than full-size cars. "Large family car" is a UK term and a part of the D-segment in t ...

(

), while some models may be based on a

full-size car Full-size car—also known as large car—is a vehicle size class which originated in the United States and is used for cars larger than mid-size cars, it is the largest size class for cars. In Europe, it is known as E-segment or F-segment. ...

(

E-segment The E-segment is the 5th category of the European segments for passenger cars, synonymous with the term executive car. E-Segment is a niche in Europe (2-3% penetration in 2010s). As of 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020, E-segment sales account for 2.7 ...

) or a

platform. Vehicles in this segment are commonly built on a D-segment car platform or above. While being significantly more expensive, vehicles from this segment offer similar driving and convenience advantages as mainstream compact crossover SUVs, with larger exterior dimensions, more refined interiors, more advanced technologies, higher engine power and added prestige. File:2018 Volvo XC60 R-Design D5 P-Pulse 2.0 Front.jpg,

Volvo XC60 The Volvo XC60 is a compact luxury crossover SUV manufactured and marketed by Swedish automaker Volvo Cars since 2008. The XC60 is part of Volvo's 60 Series of automobiles, along with the S60, S60 Cross Country, V60, and V60 Cross Country. ...

, in between the

Volvo XC40 The Volvo XC40 is a subcompact luxury crossover SUV manufactured by Volvo Cars. It was unveiled on 21 September 2017 as the smallest SUV model from Volvo, below the XC60. Orders started in September of 2017, and manufacturing began in November ...

and

Volvo XC90 The Volvo XC90 is a mid-size luxury SUV manufactured and marketed by Volvo Cars since 2002 and now in its second generation. The first generation was introduced at the 2002 North American International Auto Show and used the Volvo P2 platform ...

File:Mercedes GLK 350 CDI 4MATIC front 20100508.jpg, The Mercedes-Benz GLK was the first compact luxury crossover SUV made by

Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-Benz (), commonly referred to as Mercedes and sometimes as Benz, is a German luxury and commercial vehicle automotive brand established in 1926. Mercedes-Benz AG (a Mercedes-Benz Group subsidiary established in 2019) is headquartere ...

File:1st.Lexus.RX.jpg, The

Lexus RX The is a luxury crossover SUV sold since 1998 by Lexus, a luxury division of Toyota. Originally released in its home market of Japan in late 1997 as the Toyota Harrier, export sales began in March 1998 as the Lexus RX. Considered as the first ...

was a compact luxury crossover from 1998–2003

References

{{Automobile configuration

Compact Compact as used in politics may refer broadly to a pact or treaty; in more specific cases it may refer to: * Interstate compact * Blood compact, an ancient ritual of the Philippines * Compact government, a type of colonial rule utilized in British ...

Automotive design