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Crossover Vehicles Gaining Popularity

DETROIT February 25, 2003; John Porretto writing for the AP reported that more and more, U.S. motorists are opting for vehicles with the feel of a sedan and the roominess of a minivan or sport utility vehicle, seeking space without bulk and a thirst for fuel.

The so-called "crossover" vehicle, which has characteristics of a car, minivan and SUV, seems to be the happy medium for drivers who like the stylishness and on-road command of an SUV but who recognize they don't need the off-road ruggedness.

Traci Syperek, for instance, traded in her Ford Explorer last month for the tamer Honda Element.

"The minivan just isn't my style ... I'm not even 32," the Baton Rouge, La., resident said.

Crossovers were the fastest growing category of U.S. autos last year and the pace is certain to continue this year as several automakers - including Cadillac, Chrysler, Mitsubishi, Infiniti, Porsche and Volkswagen - introduce models.

Crossovers accounted for 7.4 percent of the U.S. light vehicle market last year, up from 1.8 percent in 1999, according to Ward's Automotive Reports. Some analysts predict they'll surpass vans and luxury cars to become the industry's fourth-largest segment this year, behind mid-size cars, pickups and SUVs.

The Element, which went on sale in December, is shaped like an SUV, but the hard plastic floor inside is like the bed of a pickup truck. Starting at $16,100, the Element has removable seats and is designed to make loading and unloading through the side doors easy - a strong selling point for Syperek, the mother of a 1-year-old.

"It has a smooth ride and what seems to be a solid base, so I feel safe with my daughter," she said. "But we also like to ride bikes and go surfing, and we have a 115-pound dog that fits in just fine."

Shapes and sizes of crossovers vary greatly. They're marketed as SUVs, and nearly all have one distinguishing feature: they're built on the frame of a car. That differs from the larger, truck-based SUVs.

Safety appears to be emerging as a factor in their popularity.

Marc Ross, a University of Michigan physicist who studies auto crashes, said early testing shows that car-based crossovers tend to be safer than truck-based SUVs, which have a higher center of gravity and can be more likely to flip over when a driver loses control, Ross noted.

Testing by Consumer Reports showed that car-based SUVs routinely outperformed their truck-based counterparts in areas such as handling, braking and fuel economy. Released last week, the findings were based on tests of 20 SUVs at Consumer Reports' auto test facility during the past three years.

Subaru is generally regarded as the pioneer of the car-based crossover. Eager to hitch a ride on the SUV bandwagon in the early '90s but lacking a pickup chassis to build one on, the Japanese company turned to its Legacy station wagon.

It slapped some SUV-like plastic cladding on the fenders and doors for a tougher look, raised the roof and ground clearance, gave it bigger tires and a beefier suspension and, in 1994, sold the Outback as "the world's first sport utility wagon."