What does SUV stand for?

SUV stands for sport utility vehicle. The term describes a broad class of vehicles that combines passenger-car features with traits traditionally associated with off-road vehicles.

SUVs commonly have a raised driving position, increased ground clearance, and sometimes four-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. However, there is no universally agreed technical definition, so the label covers everything from compact urban crossovers to large, truck-based off-road vehicles.

The word “utility” refers to practical carrying ability and versatility rather than a specific mechanical design. Many modern SUVs use unibody construction, like passenger cars, while older and more rugged models often used body-on-frame construction derived from pickup trucks.

The abbreviation became especially widespread in the United States. The 1974 Jeep Cherokee is often credited with one of the earliest relevant uses of “sport utility vehicle” in advertising. A crossover SUV is usually a car-based SUV, but the boundary between crossovers and traditional SUVs is increasingly blurred.