You may be thinking “What exactly is a crossover” well it’s a vehicle that has been specifically and carefully engineered to cross an SUV with features from a passenger vehicle, typically those of a station wagon or hatchback nature. Our chosen top 5 today will cover our personal favourites.
Number 5, The Neorion Chicago
The Neorion Chicago was a product engineered by the Greek Neorion company group back in 1974, and was a vehicle which was designed with unprecedented luxury, retro looks, all with a powerful 4×4 cross country feel. This was a controversial concept at the time, as nothing to this nature had ever been done. Its name was inspired by it’s 1930’s retro look, and was carefully constructed in the docks of Ermoupoli, Greece. This beautiful vehicle sports an AMC V8 engine, making it an extremely powerful vehicle for the era that it was engineered during. All of the above considered, this is why we place this marvellous vehicle at number 5.
Number 4, The Matra Rancho
The Matra Rancho is a leisure activity vehicle that was manufactured by a French engineering group named ‘Matra’, working alongside another vehicle manufacturer ‘Simca’, to attempt to take over the off-road vehicle scene from the leading competitor Range Rover. The Rancho was in production between years 1977 to 1984 before it ceased production. The Rancho came equipped with a 1.4 litre engine, and had an abnormally large near section. This could either be used for storage, or for an additional price, an option of installing an additional third row of seats was made possible., the Matra lands in at number 4.
Number 3, The Peugeot 2008
In at 3, unlike the name would suggest, the Peugeot 2008 began it’s manufacturing process back in 2013, and is still being made today. It sports a beautiful leather interior, four doors, and even has a wide plethora selection of engines to choose from – from 1.2 patrol all the way up to a 1.6 diesel. The 2008 was the successor of the Peugeot 207, and as of 2013 produced 78,900 vehicles.
Number 2, Mazda CX-5
Top spot was a tough decision, but trailing just behind at number 2 is the CX-5, a compact crossover produced by Mazda back in 2012. This crossover has a slightly more powerful engine than the rest of the cars on this line up, with a selection of a 2, 2.5, or 2.2 litre SKYACTIV engine. The design of the vehicle was based on the Mazda MINAGI, and as of 2015 sold 111,450 models in the United States alone. The interior has a sporty feel, with beautifully stitched leather, sleek dashboard, and low seats.
Number 1, The Hyundai Tucson
And finally, the number 1 spot. Our own personal favourite is the Hyundai Tucson. The Tucson is a compact crossover SUV produced by the Korean car manufacturer Hyundai, and has been in production since 2004, with new models launched yearly. The third generation model comes with either a 2 litre petrol GDi engine, or a 1.6L turbocharged engine. The seating inside the vehicle is a combination of leather and fabric and the dashboard is extremely slick, with an embedded radio and satnav in the dash.
So what do you think? Do you agree with our top 5, or would you change any for something different? Drop us a comment!
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