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In theory, off-road vehicles were born during the Second World War, as the demand for durable vehicles capable of overcoming any surface was the demand of the time.
BHPian Arsenic recently shared this with other enthusiasts.
SUVs around the world
This series is based on Ed’s Auto Reviews YouTube channel’s Automotive History series. Subscribe to their channel!
Previous parts of this series – Crossovers Around The World
In the last part of this series, I showed some interesting and unique crossovers around the world. This time, I think it would be a better idea to discuss a much cooler off-road vehicle: the SUV.
An SUV is usually frame-based and needs a proper 4×4 transmission, usually with a low-speed gearbox, to tackle rough terrain. In theory, off-road vehicles were born during World War II, as the demand for durable vehicles capable of overcoming any surface was an urgent need in the US military. It was then that the first ever “general purpose” cars appeared (GP, or “jeep” as we call it today).
A quick note: I am including monocoque vehicles designed for off-road use, as a monocoque chassis does not completely limit off-road capability. In fact, I predict that body-on-frame construction as a whole will probably die out in the future altogether. reason? The monocoque design gives the cars better handling, and given that everyone wants to drive their Wrangler to Tesco, that means better sales.
Also, since the only SUV that is exclusively 3-door still sold in major markets around the world is the Suzuki Jimny (even that will change next year), 5-door SUVs will be included.
Finally, special thanks to GTO who offered to expand this list with additional entries while it was still in the pipeline. Without him, this list would be a little emptier. Thanks for the recommendation!
ready let’s crawl
America and Europe
“Murica
The land of the bald eagle gave us some of the first mass-market SUVs in the Chevrolet Blazer and Ford Bronco. They were clean, hairy-chested, weapon-wielding, freedom-exporting metal beasts. Over time, the iconic small SUV “CJ” turned into the Jeep Wrangler under the leadership of AMC, and later Chrysler. With the all-out craze for SUVs, you’d expect to see some interesting deals under every nameplate. So here’s the 2022 Blazer, Bronco and Wrangler together:
Did someone miss the memo?
Well, since the Blazer is just another soft crossover, the Wrangler and Bronco are left to battle it out for the coolest SUV from the US. This, I understand, will be a little subjective. But I personally think the Bronco looks a lot fresher and more unique, and in terms of reviving the nameplate, that’s absolutely true.
Brazil
This is the Brazilian take on a small SUV; Troller T4. The T4 was first introduced in 2004 and following Ford’s acquisition of Troller, was redesigned in 2014 and is now built on the same platform as the Ford Ranger.
Troller actually looks pretty good, so props to the Brazilians. The T4 came with a Dana 44 differential, an Eaton transmission, and a 1352 Borg Warner transfer case. Unfortunately, like in India, Ford has ceased operations in Brazil and closed the Troller plant in 2021. Rest in peace T4, Ford should have exported you all over the world, not killed you. Maybe Troller would be a household name like Brian. Otherwise, it would be the next Perodua Kelisa, but let’s try to stay positive. If only…
Funny fact: Troller also made another vehicle, the Pantanal 2-door pickup truck. Only 77 were made and each was recalled in 2008 due to the possibility of chassis cracking! Eventually, Ford decided to take away all Pantanals ever made, making the pickup obsolete unless the owner wanted to keep theirs.
Bri’ain
No one would have expected the scone-eating British public to be big fans of off-roaders, given that they’d spill their cup quite a bit driving over rocks. And yet somehow they have a brand whose whole philosophy is to go anywhere. anywhere? Yes, anywhere. Especially your local FNG because we’re talking Land Rover.
Anyway, this is their purely off-road offering: the Defender, which isn’t actually built on a BOF chassis like the aforementioned 4x4s. why Well, you see, Land Rover has remained quintessentially British over time, but is now aimed at the “posh and refined” British businessmen in Mayfair, not the shepherds in Derby. As a result, the Defender also had to evolve. The new Defender is much plusher and softer, but still has Land Rover’s iconic reputation and does a pretty decent job. Of course, that reputation includes engine indicators that replace owner-decorated trees for Christmas, in addition to legendary 4×4 capability, but regardless, at least their DNA, if a little infamous, lives on. What, you want a reliable Land Rover? Go buy a Suzuki or something, peasant. *gulps cup*
On the other hand, if you’re too afraid of your Defender slamming doors when you’re on the road less traveled, maybe the Bowler Wildcat is what you need. It’s a great SUV, based on the old Defender and powered by a 4.6-litre V8 with fiberglass body panels and a roll cage as part of the main structure. You probably won’t see them parked up at Royal Ascot too often.
Honorable mention goes to the new Range Rover, which may have swapped the most remote parts of the Scottish Highlands for Kensington High Street, but still retains its iconic silhouette and off-road capability. It’s certainly a lot more off-road than the Mercedes GLS and BMW X7, and comes with a PHEV option for those who care about the environment or those who don’t have multiple gas stations.
Germany
Ze land of ze bratwurst, Oktoberfest and ze DQ200 is proud to present ze world’s toughest rock and mall: ze Mercedes-Benz Geländewagen. Zis is a car created by the best German engineers in the world. The Zis is a car designed to take you to a meeting at Deutsche Bank headquarters on Friday, then conquer the rough terrain of ze Alps on Saturday and finally take you to the local currywurst stand for refreshment on Sunday.
Yes, the rain gutters may still be visible in 2022, and there was no need to stuff this Amazon box on wheels with the ridiculous 4.0 twin-turbo V8 that propels the box from 0-100 in 4.5 seconds in the G63 AMG model, but it a truly German car, in the sense that it is ridiculous to be proud of it. It’s a hell of a lot better than the Golf 1.5 TSI.
But is it the only German SUV? Well, here’s something interesting: You might not think of the Porsche 959 as an SUV, but because of its rally roots, the 959 came with a “G” (Gelände, or off-road) transmission, which meant the gearshift pattern read G-1-2 -3-4-5. This transmission wasn’t intended for road use, but with the limited slip required to move the 959 engine into its powerband, starting from G was a breeze, even on the track.
Russia
This is Lada Niva. This is basic. It looks like it arrived straight from 1975. But somehow I like it even if it looks like a Maruti Zen with a lift kit.
It is worth noting that there are actually two models of the Niva: this Soviet tank, which is sold as the Niva Legend, and a softer, but almost as strong crossover under the Niva Travel brand. However, the Niva Travel wasn’t really a Lada until 2020, when GM stopped selling the Chevrolet Niva, and hence the Lada rebrand. IMO the Niva Legend is a true basic off-road SUV – it may not go shopping, but it will definitely take you through every Russian mountain you come across.
The Niva Travel, on the other hand, looks more like a quirky combination of the pre-2017 Daihatsu Terios and the first-gen Dacia (Renault in India) Duster, with a front grille that looks a bit like the Toyota 4Runner. While the Niva Travel will really appeal to those who don’t want a Soviet toaster on wheels, the more hardcore Legend will definitely appeal to off-road fans looking for pure off-road fun.
of Asia
China
I’m not trying to score my Social Credit points, but I honestly think this is the best-looking SUV on this list. This is a very subjective thing, so remember, our views may differ!
It’s the GWM Tank 300 and it’s China’s take on a rough and tough 4×4. There must be something really good about this – even Doug DeMuro wishes they were sold in the US! The 300 was the first vehicle of GWM’s ‘TANK’ off-road brand, and what you will about it, somewhat reminiscent of the 6th generation Ford Bronco, the 300 was actually produced first. I promise I genuinely love this thing, the social credit is just an added bonus…
But what if you crave a Jeep Wrangler but only want to buy a Chinese car? It’s a fancy BAIC BJ40, a strange Chinese copy of the Jeep Wrangler.
The Sino Wrangler is available in many markets around the world, including the UAE and our neighbors Pakistan, where it is assembled using CKD kits assembled by local company Sazgar. Considering how much flak the Mahindra Thar has received for looking like a 3-door Wrangler, which doesn’t even make up the majority of Wrangler sales, I wonder what FCA – sorry Stellantis – thinks about this. I don’t think they will be very happy…
Japan
Since South Korea is not mentioned this time, I decided to talk about two extremely cool SUVs from the land of the rising sun: the Suzuki Jimny and the Toyota Land Cruiser Prado.
Both cars are important examples of how not to lose the SUV’s key reputation as a tough and reliable 4×4. While the Jimny has captured the world’s attention for being powerful and aggressive yet small and cute, the Prado seems to be the only large SUV that can’t take little Timmy to his piano concert (Jeep Grand Cherokee I’m looking at you ) – well done Japan! Another great job, credited for retaining the Toyota Land Cruiser’s iconic off-road qualities and ruggedness, even though its interior has become much more comfortable and luxurious (GMC Yukon, I’m looking at you), reminding me of a wonderful Aussie quote: if you want to go to the Outback, you take a Land Rover. If you want to get back from the backcountry, you take a Land Cruiser.
India
I am truly proud of India here. See, the original Mahindra Scorpio was an iconic car, but it never had great road manners and the design looked quite dated by the late 2010s. So Mahindra decided to continue the Scorpio nameplate with a car that was just as macho as the previous generation, but also had a much more comfortable interior and a much more modern design.
The 2022 Mahindra Scorpio-N is really awesome and I hope Mahindra exports them worldwide. Dad, take notes – this was not the safari we wanted. Even so, the disappointing revival of Tata’s iconic nameplate shouldn’t take anything away from the deservedly hyped Scorpio-N, which genuinely impressed me.
And of course, for those who don’t necessarily care about a third row of seats or a big touchscreen, there’s the Mahindra Thar and the Force Gurkha, either of which is a solid, muscular SUV with a pretty good interior. and decent on-road manners, while the other offers a well-built Mercedes diesel engine and excellent off-road capabilities that have left many impressed.
As I said last time when talking about the XUV7OO, well done Mahindra (and Force!)
Check out the BHPian comments for more insight and information.
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