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Chapter 3 Vehicle Construction
area and the rear seat. Some manufacturers offer
4-door hatchbacks, which are similar to station wagons.
A convertible has a fabric top that can be folded
down to allow open-air driving. When in the up position,
the top protects the passenger compartment from the
elements. A convertible is shown in Figure 3-4E.
A minivan has an enclosed body with a relatively
high roofline, providing a great deal of interior room.
The minivan may or may not have side windows,
depending on its intended purpose. A minivan is shown
in Figure 3-4F. Minivans are unibody vehicles.
Most sport-utility vehicles (SUV) have rugged full
frames and are designed for off-road use. Because off-
road driving requires high ground clearance, SUVs sit
higher than cars. SUVs are generally four-wheel drive
vehicles, but some are equipped with two-wheel drive.
See Figure 3-4G.
N O T E
Many manufacturers are now producing crossover
vehicles, which combine the desirable characteristics
of an SUV with those of a car. Crossover vehicles are
generally built on a car chassis rather than a truck
chassis. Because they are lighter than traditional SUVs,
crossover vehicles get better fuel economy than SUVs.
Crossovers handle more like cars than SUVs, but have
the cargo capacity and high seat positions that have
made SUVs popular. However, they do not have the
off-road driving capabilities of large truck-based SUVs.
A pickup truck has a cab and a bed that are
generally mounted on a full frame. The cab contains
the passenger compartment. The bed holds the
cargo. Cabs are available as standard, extended,
and 4-door models. See Figure 3-5. A pickup truck’s
bed can vary in length. In most cases, trucks with an
extended cab or a 4-door cab have a shorter bed than
comparable trucks with a standard cab. A compact or
intermediate pickup truck will have a 6- or 7-foot bed,
while a full-size pickup truck will have a 7- or 8-foot
bed. Although the vast majority of pickup trucks are
body-over-frame vehicles, there are a few unibody
trucks on the market.
Pickup trucks are rated by cargo weight capacity.
Cargo weight capacity is a measure of the weight a
vehicle can safely carry. A half-ton pickup truck can
carry a maximum of 1000 lb of cargo, a 3/4-ton pickup
truck can safely carry up to 1500 lb, and a one-ton
pickup truck can safely carry 2000 lb.
A full-size van is shown in Figure 3-6. It has an
enclosed body, providing ample room for passengers or
cargo. Depending on its application, a full-size van may
or may not have side windows. Like pickup trucks, full-
size vans are rated by cargo weight capacity.
Figure 3-5. A—A regular cab has one bench seat
or two bucket seats. B—An extended cab is slightly
longer than a regular cab and generally has small seats
in the extended area. C—A four-door cab is much
longer than a regular cab and has full-size seats for all
occupants. (Ford, Toyota)
A A A
B B B B B B B B B
C
Material Types
Vehicle designers constantly strive for ways to
reduce vehicle weight without compromising occu-
pant safety. Reducing the weight of a vehicle can help
improve fuel economy. However, government safety
standards require that vehicles be capable of protecting