 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
When automotive observers pronounced the demise of the full-size family station wagon in the mid-1980s, they believed the new standard in family hauling would be the minivan. After all, minivan sales were already going through the roof. However, the car buying public is not so easy to analyze. It turns out that while minivans were fine for some, many families were also looking for a vehicle-type with a little more adventure and bite. Thus, today, in the average suburban carport, you're likely to find a minivan parked next to a sport-utility vehicle. While the modern SUV is indeed shaped like a station wagon, chances are it takes up a bit less space, has some form of four-wheel-drive system, and is far more luxurious than that station wagon of our childhood memories. Indeed, there seems to be no end to the sport-utility vehicle boom, with more new SUVs than ever on display at the 1999 Washington Auto Show.
Probably the biggest sport-ute surprise at the show will be found at the Cadillac stand in the 1999 Escalade. The full-size Escalade is the first truck in the Cadillac lineup in the brand's 96-year history. As you might expect, the Escalade is loaded, including the OnStar communication and emergency locator system. Otherwise, the fine Nuance leather, Zebrano wood accents, and Bose stereo will make luxury car owners feel right at home.
No matter where that home is. The Escalade powertrain begins with a stump-pulling 5.7-liter 255-horsepower V-8 engine. That power flows through a heavy-duty 4-speed automatic transmission, and into an AutoTrac on-demand 4X4 system. AutoTrac automatically goes into four-wheel drive mode when needed, and also offers the versatility of low range operation for when getting to the mall is critical.
The crowds around the all-new 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee will be large. The mid-size Grand Cherokee pioneered the concept of an affordable sport-ute that promoted luxury car features without giving up all-terrain prowess. Grand Cherokee owners told Jeep not to change the original too much, and with that in mind, the new vehicle has the same wheelbase as before. But, Jeep did make the new Grand Cherokee wider for better stability, and lowered the step-in height. There is a new premium engine too, a 4.7-liter 235-horsepower overhead-cam V-8 with a fail-safe cooling system. Jeep owners did demand more comforts, however, and the 1999 Grand Cherokee obliges with available dual zone climate control. As for legendary Jeep off-road prowess, the revolutionary Quadra-Drive 4X4 system uses hydraulics to silently distribute torque around the chassis. When properly equipped, Quadra-Drive can keep the 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee moving even when only one wheel has traction.
There is a new V-8 engine in another popular sport-ute too, as the Mercedes-Benz M-Class expands with a second model. The new ML430 with a 4.3-liter 268-horsepower V-8 joins the 215-horsepower V-6 that powers the original ML320. The mid-size 1999 M-Class sport-ute is not only tuned for American tastes, it comes with a price that looks more at home on a vehicle designed in Detroit than Stuttgart. The M-Class is even made in America - a first for any Mercedes-Benz passenger vehicle - way down south in Alabama.
However, more and more sport-utility vehicles with an import heritage are being built in North America. Among them is the 1999 Chevrolet Tracker. The all-new Tracker is assembled in Canada, and as before, is available in both two-door and four-door bodystyles. The Tracker is one of the few mini sport-utes with a truck-style parameter frame and rugged part-time four-wheel drive system with both high and low range. Power starts with a 1.6-liter 97-horsepower inline-4, with the optional 2.0-liter 127-horsepower engine likely to be the preferred fitment for most buyers.
Suzuki's Grand Vatara is also assembled north of our borders. Suzuki, long the king of the small SUVs, is at the top of its form with the first V-6 powered model in its mini-ute class. The Grand Vatara's 2.5-liter 155-horsepower V-6 provides this compact four-door off-road wagon with impressive pulling strength and smoothness. Plus, with high ground clearance and a rugged high-low range 4X4 system, the Grand Vatara can use its V-6 power to go places most compact sport-utes can only see from a distance.
Still, a lot of off-road purists long to make their treks in the open air, as close to nature as possible. That's where the 1999 Isuzu Amigo comes in. Based on the American made Rodeo, the Amigo sort of looks like a targa-top, all-terrain sports car. A steel roof, with or without a sunroof, covers the front seats. But a rear fabric top can be quickly lowered to let the sun shine in on rear seat passengers. The Amigo retains the rugged body-on-frame chassis that gives the Rodeo its stellar off-road reputation. Choice of powertrains are the same as Rodeo, a 2.2-liter 120-horsepower 4-cylinder or 3.2-liter 205-horsepower V-6. Amigo also comes in both rear- and four-wheel drive configurations.
Isuzu will also be using the 1999 Washington Auto Show to kick off sales of its futuristic VehiCROSS SUV. This limited edition import began life as an auto show concept vehicle only a few years ago. The VehiCROSS shares its chassis and running gear with the capable Trooper series, with a 3.5-liter 215-horsepower V-6 engine standard.
Discovery power continues to be from an all-aluminum 4.0-liter 182-horsepower V-8, but with new generation electronic controls for improved response. 4X4 operation is full-time, and the all-disc brakes are anti-lock equipped.
Land Rovers are pretty luxurious vehicles, and there are no shortage of posh sport-utes making their first appearance at the 1999 Washington Auto Show.
Lexus has two new SUVs this year, the LX 470 and RX 300. The full-size 1999 LX 470, and its only slightly less luxurious kin, the Toyota Land Cruiser, are now powered by robust 4.7-liter 230-horsepower V-8. The Lexus-LS-400-derived V-8 feeds through a permanently engaged 4X4 system with locking rear differential that ensures mobility no matter how remote the country club.
If the terrain is a bit less harsh, the RX 300 may be the prescription. This contemporary styled all-wheel drive SUV is powered by a silky smooth 3.0-liter 220-horsepower V-6. Its car-like ride is augmented with every interior luxury feature you would expect on a Lexus luxury sedan. So impressed are the critics with the RX 300 that it was just named Motor Trends' 1999 "Sport-Utility Of The Year".
But, a 1999 award for thinking out of the box should go to Subaru. On the heels of its highly successful Outback and Forester series comes the new SUS, which stands for sport-utility sedan. Not since the AMC Eagle has a manufacturer delivered a capable all-wheel drive family sedan, that also had the extra ground clearance and robust looks that can go anywhere fans demand. In this case, the 1999 Subaru SUS is just the ticket for fans who want to do their all-road going in something other than a wagon shape.
Still, it's hard to refute the fact that for most families the sport-utility vehicle is a direct replacement for the full-size station wagon. Even though minivans can still carry more than most SUVs, buyers like the extra abilities, and implied added safety, that a stout 4X4 sport-ute delivers. With the crowded SUV displays at the 1999 Washington Auto Show, it doesn't seem to matter that less 10 percent of potential SUV buyers will ever take an SUV on roads more challenging than hard packed gravel. The sport-utility vehicle is the vehicle of choice for the family of the 1990s, and it looks like for the start of the 21st century as well.
Copyright @ 1998 John H. Davis Comm.
|
While smaller SUVs are gaining popularity, it is still the mid-size and full-size models that are powering the sport-utility vehicle market today. One of the most legendary names in off-roading is Land Rover, and for 1999, they have given their most popular model, the Discovery, a thorough redesign. While retaining much of the upright exterior look, complete with raised roof section, so popular in the original, the 1999 Land Rover Discovery Series II is completely redecorated inside. The modern instrument panel has proper ergonomics, with bigger switchgear and easier to comprehend climate and stereo systems. Along with more inside style-there is more room. Even the optional rear jump seats are changed for the better - they now face front rather than to the sides.