Learning about cars: the ‘D-SUV’ Segment

All those SUV with some luxury features and larger size, without being the most luxury or expensive ones, are considered the ‘D’ segment SUV. These Sport Utility Vehicles are not based on regular passenger cars but most of them are created as what they are, SUVs. It means they don’t share any component or platform with any other car and their goal is to serve as real tall and powerful cars. They are a bit less popular than ‘C-SUV’ but they rule in world’s largest market, the USA. Last year more than 2.5 million units were sold in the main markets, and the US market counted for half of them. They are the most popular SUV in America. The segment is mainly ruled by Asians and Americans, who have always had mid-size SUV. Anyway with the arrival of smaller SUV and better luxury larger SUV, the ‘D’ SUVs are struggling to survive.

Jeep Liberty/Cherokee Arctic. Photo by netcarshow.com

Fiat-Chrysler’s position can be considered good. They offer the old Jeep Cherokee/Liberty and the famous Jeep Wrangler. The first one will be soon replaced by an all-new model in order to gain some reputation of the good Jeep Grand Cherokee but in a smaller size. Meanwhile the Wrangler is one of the most popular and appreciated SUV of the segment. In 2011 it was the third best-selling D SUV in USA and Canada, no matter it still uses an old platform. It allowed the group to reach 17.5% of the segment in USA and 11.3% in Canada*. But these two Jeeps are also popular in Greece (15%), Venezuela (46%), or in some countries of the Middle East. At the end Jeep must work on a better Cherokee and think of an excellent successor for the Wrangler, which could be considered another icon such as the Fiat 500.