Featured SUVs - Jeep Patriot & Jeep Compass

Jeep® Patriot and Jeep Compass Point Brand Into New Territory PR Newswire, Sept 12, 2005 Jeep® hints at global portfolio expansion with world premiere of Jeep Patriot and Jeep Compass concept sport-utility vehicles at the 61st International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt - Pair of compact Jeep SUVs designed to appeal to all-new buyers - Two concepts complement each other, yet target different consumers. The Jeep Patriot and Jeep Compass concepts are compact Jeep 4x4s that would deliver fun, freedom, utility, capability, as well as the potential for exceptional fuel economy and interior flexibility -- all at a great value. Making their debut at the 2005 International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt, these concepts hint at two future compact SUVs that the Jeep brand could build for global markets as soon as next year.

	All-New 2006 Toyota RAV4 SUV to Make Its World Premiere at Frankfurt International Motor Show PR Newswire, Sept 12, 2005 The next-generation RAV4 rides on an all-new platform that is significantly longer and wider, inside and out, with a roomier and more convenient passenger compartment than the previous generation (the U.S. version will have a longer wheelbase than the European version). With an increased length of more than 14-inches over the previous generation, a new seating design features second row seating for three and optional third row seating, a first in the small SUV segment. The seating allows for numerous seat fold-down configurations, and under-floor storage (on models without the third-row seat), providing cargo space comparable to a mid-size SUV. Among the array of interior features new to RAV4 are optitron gauges, cruise control with lever-operated brake deceleration, dual zone automatic air conditioning, audio mini-jack port, and a dual glove box.
	'H' for Performance: Lexus 400h Combines the Latest Generation Hybrid Synergy Drive With Its Top-Selling SUV and Finds Improvements in Both Performance and Fuel Economy Automotive Industries, Feb, 2005 by John Peter Are you happy with your Lexus RX330, but you'd like a little more power--maybe enough to dust off the guy down the street in the Mercedes ML 500. How about a luxury Lexus SUV that goes from 0 to 60 in 7.3 seconds? That's about three-tenths of a second faster than your 330 and puts you on par with your neighbor's ML 500, or 3.4 seconds 30 to 50 mph, a second quicker than competitive vehicles. What if it had 650 lb.ft. of torque at launch, and on top of all that performance, it got about 28 to 30 mpg. No, it's not some kind of super diesel, it's a hybrid-electric SUV. Hybrid isn't just for fuel economy anymore.
	Nissan Announces Pricing on All-New Second Generation 2005 Xterra SUV by: Jenny McLane Last Feb. 9, 2005, Nissan North America, Inc. announced pricing on the revolutionary 2005 Nissan Xterra SUV. The all-new 2005 Xterra offers improvements on virtually all functional and user attributes with more power, more roominess and more features, including enhanced off-road performance systems. The 2005 Xterra will be offered in three trim levels – S, Off-Road and SE. Each model comes with a standard 4.0-liter 265-horsepower V6 and is offered in both 2WD and 4WD. Starting Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) for the Xterra S 2WD M/T is $20,800. The Xterra Off-Road model with 4WD M/T features a MSRP of 25,500, while the SE 2WD A/T features a MSRP of $25,300.
	Snow's the Show: Volvo's XC90 V-8 SUV and V50 Wagon Perform Their Best in the Worst of Climates Automotive Industries, March, 2005 During the long winter months in Northern Europe, car companies eager to show off their new products usually take journalists off in search of some sun--the South of France, southern Spain or the Portuguese Algarve are favorites. That's not the Volvo way. The Swedes like to show what their cars can do in the most inhospitable of climates--usually as close to the Arctic Circle as they can get. Winter testing with Volvo has become legendary and this year the destination was Ivalo in Northern Finland just a few kilometers short of the Russian border.
	Honda SUV's Like The Honda CR-V Can Be Traced Back To The Honda Civic Platform by: Steven Johnston One of the most popular Honda SUV’s on the market is the Honda CR-V, which is considered to be what is called a ‘crossover’ SUV. This Honda SUV is a car that has an SUV or sport utility vehicle look but is assembled on a more economical construction. The Honda SUV, CR-V, was ‘copied’ from the extremely popular Honda Civic in order to meet a growing demand for a SUV made by Honda. The letters CR-V stand for “comfortable runabout vehicle” and comes with either front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. The very first Honda SUV that was planned ‘in house’ by Honda was the CR-V in 1996. While there was considerable uncertainty as to whether or not this type of Honda SUV could sell as well as it’s forerunner, the Honda Passport, the CR-V was introduced to the US market in 1997. The CR-V has consistently maintained exceptional sales ever since.