India has a fascination for the “SUV” moniker. Vehicles of all shapes and sizes are advertised as SUVs if they have a taller roof than a hatchback or sedan and do not have a third box at the back. Study the SIAM classification, and you see vehicles like Syros, Exter, Fronx and Magnite sitting alongside the likes of Thar, Bolero, Gurkha and Jimny in the “UVC” sub-segment under the B segment.
The Thar and the Fronx are supposed to be “competitors”, but in what way? How can one evaluate the Gurkha versus the Exter? It’s a bit like putting Hulk Hogan and Bruce Lee in the same category for a fight till the end!
It is time that we logically had a new category in the SIAM classification simply called “Crossover”. These are vehicles between a hatch and a true SUV. They are taller than the hatch, but not as tall as the SUV. They have higher ground clearance than the hatch, but not as much as the SUV. They are, as the word is, a cross between a traditional hatch and an SUV. They are not meant for serious off-roading and, in most cases, will not have 4WD, but will allow one to better navigate potholes and unmetalled paths.
Even in the US, they are classified as “Crossover SUVs”, while in Europe, they are simply “Crossovers”. Traditionally, they are actually built on supermini platforms. Vehicles like the RAV-4, Kicks, Tucson, Tiguan, 3008 are all classified as crossovers, either compact or sub-compact. Even luxury offerings like the GLA, XC40 and Q3 are also crossovers. The automakers correctly advertise them so.
In India, the word “crossover” is a puzzle, almost like cross dressing. The Indian culture code does not provide space for the “cross” mindset. The concept of ‘Ardhanarishvara’ remains in mythology. However, we like fusion cuisine. We have taken to hybrids like fish to water. We create our own local favourites, mixing styles and trends from different parts of the world.
It is time to embrace the “crossover” as a body style. Neither as traditional as a hatchback, nor as raw as an SUV. SIAM has to create this category to correctly classify almost half of all four-wheelers being offered in the market today. Automakers have to be bold enough in promoting a vehicle as a crossover and not conveniently call it an SUV to ride a fad. And the mature Indian consumer should accept the crossover as the smarter choice over a hatch, which is too low, and an SUV, which is simply unnecessary. And if the crossover is a hybrid, then there is no looking back!
Rishaad Mody
