4x4 Safety is Improving

4x4 s and SUVs have received heavy criticism in the past for their safety. Thankfully things are improving with the Crossover and ESP.

One issue has been motorists mistakenly thinking they were protecting their families with a big strong vehicle.

Which lead us to the second problem, vehicles built on ladder chassis do not have front crumple zones, side impact protection and whole rear protection. SUVs and 4x4s were built like trucks, not cars. They simply didn't have adequate protection.

There was also the problem that a high centre of gravity, long travel suspension and fat tyres made it difficult to handle SUVs and 4x4s to prevent an anticipated accident.

Nowadays most new entrants to the SUV and 4x4 market are built like cars and called crossovers. Examples are the VW Tiguan, Nissan Qashqai and Peugeot 3008. Though they seem to lack the rugged style of a SUV. Crossovers benefit from car like handling so you have a better chance of avoiding a hazard and accident. ESP is a guardian angel when fitted. In the event of an accident most new entrants have 5-star Euro NCAP protection.

One of the best sellers has been the Toyota RAV4 which remains 4-star rated like many of the older SUVs but importantly has been improved with ESP fitted as standard across the range. A more recent entrant is the Volvo XC60 which is 5-star Euro NCAP with ESP fitted as standard across the range.

Another criticism of the SUV and 4x4 has been fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. Crossovers with their car chassis come with car running gear and a wider choice of engines. If you haven't looked recently you'll find some amazing mpg claims.

Regards
Ralph