Compact crossover SUV Facts for Kids

The Toyota RAV4 was the worldwide best-selling compact crossover SUV and the best-selling SUV of any kind in 2020.

A compact crossover SUV is a type of car that's really popular, especially in North America. It's like a mix between a regular car and a bigger sport utility vehicle (SUV). Think of it as a medium-sized SUV, not too big and not too small.

By the late 2010s, these cars became super popular in many places. For example, in the United States in 2019, almost one out of every four cars sold was a compact crossover. That's about 24.2 percent of all cars!

The best-selling car in this group in 2020 was the Toyota RAV4. Over 995,000 of them were sold around the world. It was also the second best-selling car overall in 2021, right after the Toyota Corolla.

What's in a Name?
What Are They Like?
Where Are They Popular?
Fancy Compact Crossovers
See also

What's in a Name?

The name "compact crossover SUV" is mostly used in North America. This is where the terms "compact car" and "crossover" first came from. You might also hear it called a "C-segment SUV" or "C-SUV."

However, the name can change depending on where you are in the world. In some places outside North America, these cars might be called "mid-size crossover" or "mid-size SUV." This can be a bit confusing! In the U.S., a "mid-size crossover SUV" is usually a larger car than a compact crossover.

What Are They Like?

Compact crossovers are usually built on the same base, or "platform," as a compact car. Sometimes, they might use the platform of a slightly larger car.

Most models in this group have two rows of seats. This means they can usually carry five people. A few models might even offer three rows of seats for more passengers. These cars are typically between 4.4 and 4.7 meters (about 14.4 to 15.4 feet) long.

Because they are so popular, many car companies make more than one compact crossover. They often offer them in slightly different sizes or at different prices. This gives buyers lots of choices!

Where Are They Popular?

In the United States

The very first compact crossover was the 1980 AMC Eagle. It was based on a compact car called the AMC Concord. This car had a special four-wheel drive system. This was very unusual for regular passenger cars back then.

Later, other popular models came out. These included the 1994 Toyota RAV4, the 1995 Honda CR-V, and the 2001 Ford Escape.

Between 2005 and 2010, the number of compact crossovers sold in the U.S. grew a lot. Their share of the market went from 6 percent to 11.2 percent. In 2014, for the first time ever, more compact crossovers were sold than mid-size sedans in the United States.

Top 3 best-sellers in the U.S., 2021
Toyota RAV4 (407,739 sold)
Honda CR-V (361,271 sold)
21 Nissan Rogue SV AWD, front 1.1.21.jpg

Nissan Rogue (285,602 sold including the Rogue Sport)

In Europe

In Europe, experts sometimes divide this group into two parts. There are smaller ones called "compact" or "C-SUV." Then there are larger ones called "mid-size" or "D-SUV." The larger ones are usually longer than 4.5 meters (about 14.7 feet). Some of these even have three rows of seats. In 2021, over 3 million of these cars were sold in Europe. This made up 26 percent of the whole car market.

The Nissan Qashqai helped make this type of car very popular in Europe. It came out in 2006. At that time, it was Nissan's only car in the C-segment in Europe. The Qashqai started a trend for compact crossovers. People liked them because they looked tough and sat high off the ground. But they didn't cost as much to run as bigger off-road vehicles. The Qashqai was the top seller in this group until 2019. Then, the Volkswagen Tiguan became the leader.

Top 3 best-sellers in Europe, 2021
2020 Volkswagen Tiguan R-Line 4Motion 2.0 Front.jpg

Volkswagen Tiguan (170,364 sold)
2021 Hyundai Tucson 1.6 T-GDi Hybrid (NX4) front view 01.jpg

Hyundai Tucson (150,803 sold)
2021 Kia Sportage 1.6 T-GDi Hybrid (NQ5) front view 01.jpg

Kia Sportage (112,262 sold)

In Australia

Compact crossovers are also very popular in Australia. In 2021, they were the second-largest car group there, after pickup trucks. About 180,000 units from 19 different models were sold. This made up 17.2 percent of all car sales in Australia.

Fancy Compact Crossovers

Many luxury car brands also make compact crossover SUVs. These are usually their smallest SUV options. They might be called "luxury compact SUV" or "premium small SUV."

These fancy compact crossovers are often built on the platform of a mid-size car. Some might even use a larger car's platform. They are much more expensive than regular compact crossovers. However, they offer similar easy driving and convenience. They also have bigger outside sizes, nicer insides, more advanced technology, stronger engines, and a feeling of luxury.