Sport utility vehicles, originally purchased mainly by contractors and outdoor enthusiasts went mainstream in the late 1980’s when four-door truck-based models like the Ford Explorer and Jeep Cherokee gave American families more-rugged alternatives to station wagons and minivans. Car-based crossover SUVs began to proliferate at the turn of the 21st. Century for their more easygoing road manners, improved fuel economy, and traction-enhancing all-wheel drive systems.
Sales have skyrocketed the last couple of years and SUVs have quickly supplanted passenger cars as the rides of choice among virtually all vehicle-buying demographics.
Today an expanding assortment of SUVs and crossovers are available in all size brackets, from subcompact to full-size, with two or three rows of seats, for on- and off-road use from almost all mainstream and luxury brands. That includes exotic car builders like Bentley and Lamborghini, with Aston Martin joining them for 2020 and Ferrari soon to get in the game. One report suggests that there will be an astounding 180 SUV and crossover models for sale in the U.S. by the year 2023.
Here’s a look at 14 of the most significant new and redesigned sport-utility vehicles coming for the 2020 model year. If you’ve yet to succumb to the genre’s siren song, you can find out which new passenger cars are arriving for 2020 here.
Aston Martin DBX
James Bond’s favorite automaker will debut its first-ever sport utility vehicle for 2020, the DBX. It’s also the company’s first all-wheel-drive model. It won’t be revealed until later this year, and details remain sketchy, but the company has released camouflaged images of prototypes being tested, and it looks engineered to be an off-road warrior. We suspect it will hold its own on a twisty road as well. Styling cues from other Aston Martin models include the company’s prominent grille up front and flush-fitting door handles. Sources suggest it will come powered by the twin-turbo V8 engine found in the automaker’s sports cars, with plug-in hybrid and full-electric variants said to be in the works for future model years.
Buick Encore GX
Buick adds to its SUV lineup with the new Encore GX. A bit larger than the subcompact Buick Encore, the GX will reach dealerships in early 2020. It looks more proportionately styled than the egg-shaped Encore, with assorted curves and creases running front-to-rear. Final specifications will be announced closer to its on-sale date, but we do know it will come powered by a turbocharged four-cylinder engine and offer more interior space than the Encore, with a cargo hold that’s about five cubic feet bigger. Standard driver-assist features include forward auto-braking with pedestrian detection, lane-keep assist, and lane-departure warning. It also offers a rear-view video camera mirror and a high-definition surround-view backup camera. The GX is rumored to provide the basis for the upcoming 2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer.
