So You Want to Become an Auto Mechanic? Here’s a Brief Guide to Crossover Vehicle Design

The crossover is a relatively new phenomenon that has impressed customers with its rugged spaciousness and exciting driving experience. Despite only starting to make its impact on the automotive scene just over a decade ago, this type of vehicle has already become one of the most popular in Canada.

Its origins are quite straightforward. The conventional sedan or saloon offered high performance, but drivers wanted something more spacious and dominant on the road. The SUV took it to the other extreme, becoming too difficult to drive and expensive to fill up. The crossover is a very popular compromise that you’ll regularly encounter in an auto mechanic career. So, here’s what’s unique about its engineering.

The Subtle Platform Difference Between the SUV and Crossover

The crossover looks like a low-fat SUV, but the most significant engineering difference lies in its bodywork. The SUV is built on top of a truck platform, but the crossover is a single body vehicle that contains a normal car platform. Crossover manufacturers are trying to recreate the pleasurable driving experience of a normal car, and this is a big reason they manage to pull it off. Poor handling is a concern you’ll often hear about SUVs when you become an auto mechanic, but the crossover design helps to resolve that problem.

 

Check out Crossover Fuel Efficiency After You Become an Auto Mechanic

The monocoque car platform in the crossover is also lighter than the truck equivalent in the SUV. Crossovers are a popular option for parents who want a safe, spacious, but fuel-efficient family vehicle. As well as the weight difference, fuel efficiency is also optimized through subtle aerodynamic design differences. Crossovers have the same general shape as an SUV but feature rounded edges to help it cut as smoothly through the air as possible. This reduces friction when driving at high speeds and makes a surprisingly big difference to fuel efficiency. Sedans and other conventional car types are shorter and built lower to the ground, giving them even greater aerodynamic properties.

Drivers Love the Crossover’s High Driving Position

When you open the door and hop into the driving seat of a crossover, you feel in a much more commanding position. The occupants are more elevated than they would be in an SUV equivalent, giving them a better view of the road. It may have worse manoeuvrability than a sedan, but this higher driving position does offer alternative safety benefits because of the better visibility. Crossovers are also very spacious, making them perfect for families and those who want to lug around lots of equipment in the trunk.

 

 

There Are Two and Four-Wheel Drive Crossover Options

SUVs were originally designed for those who wanted to mix everyday road driving with off-road dependability. Students at mechanic school in Montreal know that the crossover isn’t built for that same purpose, so four-wheel drive isn’t a necessity for designers. Drivers can choose from a broad range of two and four-wheel drive designs, depending on their budget and needs. The increasing demand for crossovers means that there’s healthy competition in the market which keeps prices low. Maybe the crossover is an engineering trend that will soon come to an end, but you’ll certainly see plenty of them if you become a mechanic in the near future.

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