A Brief History And List Of Truck-Based SUVs

"472CID" (472CID)
08/05/2015 at 12:25 • Filed to: USELESSLISTS

The line between truck-based SUVs and car-based CUVs is a blurry one. Most SUVs are a body on frame configuration, but their are exceptions. Likewise solid axels and/or low speed transfer cases are good points towards being “truck-based” but not absolute requirements. So the following list is somewhat arbitrary, your results may vary.

Proto-SUVs - Arguably the Suburuban was the first SUV, it was a station wagon body on a truck frame. Russia had a similar vehicle, the GAZ-61. Truck maker International Harvester also used this formula. World War II forged the Jeep which spawed numerous copy cats around the world.

1935- Chevrolet Suburban

1938-45 GAZ 61

1944- Willys/Kaiser/AMC/Jeep CJ/Wrangler

1948-85 Land Rover Series I/II/III

1951-84 Toyota Land Cruiser BJ/FJ/J20/30/40

1951- Nissan Patrol/Infiniti QX 2010-

1953-75 International Travelall

The First Wave - The poplularity of the Jeep prompted the American car companies to come up with their own fun trucks. The Scout and the Bronco were came out in the early 1960s, later on GM got in the game, and in the 1970s so did Mopar. Jeep went with a more luxurious offering with the Wagoneer, years later Land Rover introduced their luxurious Range Rover.

1961-81 International Scout

1962-91 Jeep Wagoneer

1966-96 Ford Bronco

1966-73 Jeep Commando

1967- Toyota Land Cruiser Wagons/Lexus LX 1996-

1969-91 Chevrolet K5 Blazer/GMC Jimmy

1970- Range Rover

1974-81 Dodge Ramcharger/Plymouth Trailduster (Plus the 1990s in Mexio)

1979- Mercedes G Class

Formative Years - During the 1980s many more SUVs started poping up and they moved from a niche segment to a more mainstream part of the automotive industry.

1981-05 Isuzu Troope/Acura SLX 1996-99 (Holden, Chevy, Opel, Vauxhall, and Subaru rebadges too)

1982- Mitsubishi Pajero/Montero/Dodge Raider

1983- Land Rover Defender

1983-90 Ford Bronco II

1983-08 Chevrolet Blazer/Trailblazer/GMC Jimmy/GMC Envoy/Oldsmobile Bravada/Buick Rainier/Saab 9-7x/Isuzu Acender

1984-01 Jeep Cherokee

1984- Toyota 4Runner/Frotuner/Land Cruiser 70 Prado/Lexus GX 2003-

1985- Nissan Pathfinder (2013- CUV)/Infiniti QX4 1997-03

1986-95 Suzuki Jimny/Samuri (1970- Worldwide)

1988- Suzuki Sidekick/Geo Tracker

1989- Land Rover Discove/LR3/LR4/Range Rover Sport

1989 Isuzu Rodeo/Wizzard/Axiom/Honda Passport (Holden. Opel, Chevy models)

The Glory Years - In the 1990s SUVs exploded with popularity, led mostly by the introduciton of the Ford Explorer. The new Jeep Grand Cherokee and redisgned Chevy Blazer also became top sellers. The booming economy and cheap gas meant everyone wanted an SUV and just about every major manufacturer wanted to get into the game.

1991-10 Ford Explorer(2011- CUV)/Mercury Mountaineer/Lincoln Aviator/Mazda Navajo

1992-06 AM General/Hummer H1

1993- Jeep Grand Cherokee (it’s debatable weather or not the newer Grand Cherokees are still “truck based”)

1993-04 Kia Sportage (2004- CUV)

1995- Chevrolet Tahoe/GMC Yukon/Cadillac Escalade/Hummer H2

1996- Mitsubishi Pajero Sport/Montero Sport

1997- Ford Expedition/Lincoln Navigator

1997- Dodge Durango/Chrysler Aspen (it’s debatable weather or not the new Durangos are still “truck based”)

1997-14 Land Rover Freelander/LR2

1997-01 Isuzu Vehicross

1999-05 Ford Excursion

1999-15 Nissan Xterra

The Decline - Truck based SUVs peaked around the turn of the century. The pop of the internet bubble and 9/11 sent the economy into a spiral and gas prices rose dramatically. Compact CUVs were already established and growing fast, and midsize CUVs were being introduced left and right. A few late arrivals showed up, and smattering of off-road focused SUVs came and went.

2001- Toyota Sequoia

2002-13 Jeep Liberty/Dodge Nitro

2003-10 Kia Sorento (2011- CUV)

2004- Nissan Armada/Infiniti QX56 (fist gen)

2005-10 Hummer H3

2006- Toyota FJ Cruiser (2015 discontinued US)

2006-10 Jeep Commander

2008- Kia Borrego/Mohave (2011 discontinued US)

2012- Chevrolet Trail Blazer/Holden Colorado 7

If you’ve been keeping track only a few of these vehicles are still around in the US today. There’s the Wrangler, 4Runner, and the big and/or expensive models like Land Rovers, Land Cruisers, and G Classes, and GM/Ford/Toyota/Nissan fullsizers. It seems likely that more will disappear and/or move to a car based platform if/when gas prices rise.

Honorable mentions Fiat Campagnola, Alfa Romeo Matta, Lamborghini LM2002, Troller

DISCUSSION (22)

BigBlock440 > 472CID
08/05/2015 at 12:36

RE: Durango/Grand Cherokee

I had always considered the new Durango to be a crossover, but it seems like in the past few years the term has been better defined. Since the Durango/Grand Cherokee are not based on a car platform, a good argument could be made that they are, in fact, SUVs. After all, the Grand Cherokee has never been on a truck frame, and the new Durango just switched from the Dakota platform to the Grand Cherokee platform.

HammerheadFistpunch > 472CID
08/05/2015 at 12:39

This post

Kinja'd!!!

so good.

HammerheadFistpunch > 472CID
08/05/2015 at 12:46

Sidenote - The suburban was the suburban Carryall until the 70’s (or at least one version of it) and the engine in the land cruiser and the suburban had common roots as the Chevy stovebolt. The Suburban holding onto an I6 based on this design up until 1972 in Brazil and Toyota sticking with the same basic design until 1993.

472CID > BigBlock440
08/05/2015 at 12:46

The fist gen Durango is solidly an SUV imo, but I’d go either way on the second and third gen. The fact that you can put a Dana 44 and 35” tires on a Grand Cherokee is enough for me to qualify it as an SUV.

472CID > HammerheadFistpunch
08/05/2015 at 12:51

Kinja'd!!!

Jcarr > 472CID
08/05/2015 at 12:51

Kinja'd!!!

The Isuzu version of the GMT360 (Trailblazer, Envoy, etc.) was the Ascender. Also, the Saab version was the 9-7x, not 9-4.

Jcarr > 472CID
08/05/2015 at 12:52

Kinja'd!!!

Interesting note on the Pathfinder. The 1st and 3rd generations were body-on-frame, the 2nd and current gens were/are unibody.

BigBlock440 > 472CID
08/05/2015 at 12:54

Kinja'd!!!

I don’t think too many people have done it yet, but it’s probably similar to lifting a GC.

Kinja'd!!!

472CID > Jcarr
08/05/2015 at 12:58

fixed, although knowing the name of the Isuzu version of the GMT360 is a classic example of useless information.

Jcarr > 472CID
08/05/2015 at 13:08

Yeah. My first vehicle was a ‘91 Trooper, then a ‘94 S10 Blazer, and now an ‘04 Envoy, so I’m kind of intertwined with the Isuzu and GM mid-size SUV lines.

Shiarlis > 472CID
08/05/2015 at 13:08

Kinja'd!!!

MITSUBISHI. Want, but shame for not a real one. CJ3B Wagon though...

TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts. > 472CID
08/05/2015 at 13:26

This post is awesome, love it. You did a lot of research it seems.

Totally being pedantic and I’m sorry for that, but...

You mislabled the 83 Land Rover 90/110/130 as a Land Rover Defender, the Defender only came out in 1990 to help differentiate the Land Rover from the Discovery and Range Rover (the actual model name is Land Rover). The 3 variants available were based on their wheel base 90 inches, 110 inches and 127 inches (later 130 inches).

The Wikipedia article on the Land Rover is terribly misleading.

472CID > TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts.
08/05/2015 at 13:40

Yeah I wasn’t going to include the Defender and just mark the original as still in production, much like the CJ/Wrangler. But I saw Wikipedia broke them up as different models and went with it.

AfromanGTO > 472CID
08/05/2015 at 13:55

This is a great write up! Good job!

I have one sidenote/question for the 1944 Jeep do you think it should have Batnum added on to it? Since they designed the Jeeps first. Even though they went bankrupt in 41.

TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts. > 472CID
08/05/2015 at 15:03

Yeah pretty much same model for the last 67 years. Hell the doors are still interchangeable.