Why did the powerful ATs go from the countryside to the city?
Today, 4x4 vehicles are associated more with a fashion than with a real market need. Pick-ups reduce their load capacity to incorporate the so-called double cab. Now, pick up has four doors, giving the possibility to have a 2 in 1, that is, family and utility transport, virtue that is rarely exploited.
In the 1950s, Americans discovered a new hobby: strolling around places that were not accessible to the common cars of that time, very low and heavy. They found the benefits of leaving the city for recreation.
The Jeep Wrangler was the forerunner of off-road vehicles. As a good “battle horse” conceived for war, the Wrangler had very basic technology, which ensured its robustness under unfavorable conditions. It could be said that it was a mechanics as simple as it was strong, the first Jeep seemed to have no limits, as they crossed any type of soil without major difficulties. They had the ability to wade rivers, climb rocky slopes and cross neighborhoods.
When companies observed the response of consumers, they decided to occupy that niche of the market. Soon Studebaker introduced very good performance vans. Jeep incorporated the Gladiator model, famous for its high performance. Europe had the pride of the all-terrain: the Land Rover, a world traveler par excellence.
Years later, Chrysler introduced the Cherokee, the real first step towards the 4x4 that today is a bestseller worldwide. The revolutionary Chrysler model integrated the comfort of a family sedan into a rustic off-road vehicle. The features were similar to those of a somewhat “powerful” car, incorporating their off-road skills. Its size maintained a comfortable interior space and a reasonable exterior size. Each new version of this model showed a clear advance in terms of aesthetic work. In the communicational aspect, the bodies conveyed a double message: “rough to go out into the countryside, refined to return to the city”.
Today, having an SUV (Sport Utility Vehicle) is more a whim than a necessity. Five meter long armatostes, almost forty cm from the ground and weighing two tons, with V8 engines of more than 300 HP, are too dangerous a cocktail for an average driver. Medium/boys are bigger than a sedan, but not more comfortable, conclusion: they are small 4x4 cars that consume a lot of fuel for such little advantage over a sedan as far as 4x4 is concerned. In many cases, they are used more to go to the supermarket than to transit difficult terrain... Even if we take a sample of 4x4 users, only a minority percentage knows how to handle this type of vehicle in any situation.
Another area of competition between companies, is to build the most luxurious 4x4. Cadillac competes hand in hand with Lincoln. The Escalade vs. the Aviator respectively. The Escalade offers a 6.0 L V8 and 345 HP. It has a system called the Driver Information Center, which monitors 34 functions; 250 Watts RMS CD player, seats with 10 adjustable variables, and dual air conditioner that allows the driver to choose a different temperature than the passenger.
It incorporates the Stabilitrack and the RSS (Road-Sensing Suspension) suspension system. The RSS uses electrically controlled shock absorbers, four electronic wheel position sensors, another that detects the angle of rotation, brake signals and a computer control module. The module adjusts the function of the 4 shock absorbers, in real time, according to the information collected from the sensors, which is updated at a frequency of 1000 times per second. Through a complex algorithm software, it calculates the demand of each wheel according to vehicle load conditions and ground type to optimize stability conditions. At this very high level of technology involved are BMW and Porsche, with their respective X5 and Cayennemodels.
The BMW X5 has similar performance to those of a sports car (acceleration, speed, power, etc.). If we consider that it has neither the stability of a sports car nor the off-road capability of a Land Rover, and that because of its size it is not ideal for urban areas, then what is the real need for such a machine?
Perhaps the advantage of having 2 worlds in a single product. Only that can justify such a large investment in this type of vehicle and its maintenance. The reality is that with each new concept for this segment, its audience seems to get more and more excited, the frenzy of having the latest model feeds the market in question. The vicious circle is re-nourished: manufacturers offer innovations and the public accepts them. Then the demand for new developments leads to the growth and expansion of the segment that has become so important, that automakers are forced to participate in it, so as not to be left empty-handed. Otherwise, some competitor will take advantage of that mistake and take advantage.
© Adrián Blanco 2004 — Prohibited the total or partial reproduction of text and/or images without explicit written consent of the author. —