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Art
01-07-2002, 09:36 PM
After reading an article on the Detroit Auto Show and viewing the official release of the XC90, one must wonder how many more vehicles will be spawned from this sector of the industry? A good point is that it should give the consumer plenty of options. Also, when will the auto manufacturers run out of names to call these cars? Talk about vehicular schizophrenia! :confused:

SAV (sport activity vehicle),
SUV (sport utility vehicle),
CV (cross-over vehicle),
AAV (all activity vehicle).
Did I miss any? http://xc70.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

I now hear that Chrysler will be introducing their latest concept, the Pacifica, an AWD 'sports tourer' due to arrive in showrooms in 2003.
http://www.pinnaclecda.com/DaimlerChrysler/Concepts/2002/2002_Chrysler_Pacifica_FQ_House.jpg

saabstory
01-07-2002, 11:29 PM
This is great news! Now there's going to be a SUV that's already slammed for all those SoCal drivers that seem to love to ruin Suburbans, doolies, etc.

Oh, wait, I can still see some pavement under/behind this new beast. I guess there will still be a market for some lowering kits...

--Adam http://xc70.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

coastal
01-08-2002, 12:13 AM
I quite like the variety of vehicles that manufacturers are starting to offer. Even just 20 years ago you had the choice between essentially a sedan, coupe, convertible, wagon, pickup, van, or THE bus. http://xc70.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

The proliferation of all these new vehicle (the Cross Country included http://xc70.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif) really simplifies the decision. Take me for instance. I would have been satisfied with either an SUV or a wagon. But being able to sort of choose both made the decision alot easier!

As the auto market expands, these little niche markets also grow, also making it profitable for the manufacturers to cater to these groups.

Call me a member of the "SUV/wagon" crowd. Then there's those guys that really like pickups, but want something they can take on long trips. Hence, the Subaru BRAT or maybe the Ford SportTrack crowd.

One of my favorite concept vehicles from last year was the Ford Sportsman, geared towards fly fishermen. The market's probably not quite ready for such a specialized vehicle, but certainly down the road there will be enough fly fishermen who'd find real value in it.

Some of the cool features include a rod compartment in the running boards, a live well in the back, and on-board GPS.
Cool stuff
:biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:
http://a332.g.akamai.net/f/332/936/12h/www.edmunds.com/media/2001/naias/Ford.Explorersportsman.r3-4.350.jpg
http://www.edmunds.com/news/autoshows/articles/45676/page035.html

Now where was I? Totally off topic... oh yeah, crossovers.. ya.. they're cool, and I really hope to see more in the future.

Art
01-08-2002, 09:43 AM
Point well taken Coastal. I guess when you think about it, all of this R & D pays off in the end. The plethora of new modern vehicle advancements that are showing up such as nav. systems, bi-xenon lights, infra-red night vision, even AWD were at one time, simply concepts, just like the cars that we are now seeing/driving once were. All of this being driven by the auto manufacturers' constant need to create more niches in an increasingly demanding and competitive industry. http://xc70.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

We all pigeon hole ourselves to a certain degree. Being the owner of 2 SUV's in the past, I admit to being caught up in the trend.. and... well, I tend to agree that this latest Volvo creation, the XC90, is one remarkable vehicle. However, that being said, my reasoning behind choosing the XC70 was simple. Lower roofline (makes loading/unloading for us shorter people easier;)), AWD, and plenty of interior cargo space. How's that for pigeon holing..Cooo!..Cooo!:biggrin:

rarjani
01-09-2002, 02:38 PM
I have to go with Coastal on this one. I too was in a toss up between a xc70 and a Ford Expedition.  No one coud argue that the explorer might better fit the middle ground, but if I am going to put myself up that high I may as well spend a little exta for the expeditionand get the extra space.  This new vehicle class fits in nicely.  It will have the seating for a real family and its stuff, but not require 3.5 parking spaces or a new garage.  As I am an avid skiier, I like the AWD feature  and the loewer center of gravity that this new class offers whiles giving me a little beefier stance.  I have order #1 in with my dealer and I will report anything that developes to this board.

Drive safely.

rich