Well as we have been giving you tips on travel guides to various destinations, we would like to compare the two heartthrob segments of vehicles today – SUV and MUV. We can differentiate them on the basis of their basic definition as: a type of vehicle that is similar in shape to a van, and is designed for personal usage is categorized under MUV. SUV includes vehicles containing the towing capacity of a pickup truck and the space of station wagon. MUVs target customers that are looking for a spacious vehicle, which can be used for both passengers and luggage, whereas SUVs are preferred by people who are looking for vehicles that can be used in all road conditions like uneven roads and hilly areas.
last updated on 26-05-2017
I have added a few technical parameters and features in this comparison. These are:
• Front / Rear Wheel Drive (F/RWD): RWD hints at slightly better weight distribution and possibly better maneuverability off-road or over poor surfaces
• Seating capacity and seat configuration
• Peak torque RPM band: gives a good idea about drivability & load lugging capability
• BHP & Torque per tonne: Power to weight ratio for acceleration
• Ground clearance
• Fuel tank capacity & range as per mileage/average figures
• Front & rear seat armrests
• Side step
• Puddle lamps
Shedding some light on some exclusive terms for better understanding. In simple terms, torque is the pulling power. Very simple example: Two engines may have the same torque to pull up a 1 in 4 slope, but if one has more BHP, it will pull the car up the slope faster. To define it properly needs a bit of math, but think of it as:
Power = Torque x Revs
Front wheel drive meant better control on wet surfaces; because the powered wheels turned in the direction you wanted to go. In a skid in a rear wheel drive car, pressing the gas could only make you go in the direction the car happened to be facing. With front wheel drive, you could direct the force of the engine to some degree to help pull you out of the skid.
Most of the information has been collated from the manufacturers’ website and their brochures. For reference the various cars considered for this analysis are Renault Duster and Toyota Innova top end models.
|
Analytical factors |
SUV |
MUV |
|
Full form |
Sports Utility Vehicle |
Multi Utility Vehicle |
|
Main purpose |
All terrain use |
Passengers and luggage carrier |
|
Seating |
5-7 |
7-9 |
|
Power (BHP) |
110-140 |
100-120 |
|
BHP per tonne |
70-90 |
60-80 |
|
Torque |
230-250 |
200 |
|
Torque @RPM |
2000-2250 |
1200-3000 |
|
Ground clearance |
Higher |
Relatively lower |
|
Air conditioning |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Power windows |
Yes |
Yes |
|
FWD/RWD |
FWD mostly |
RWD mostly |
|
Puddle lamps |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Fuel tank capacity |
50-70 litres |
50-70 litres |
|
Side step |
Yes |
yes |
|
Price |
12-14 lakhs |
10-12 lakhs |
Now you must be thinking about how to decide which one is better as per this table. Well it’s not so complicated, however first you need to prioritize your preferences as per the requirement whether you want a set of wheels able to drive you to all types of terrains or is it for carrying loads of passengers and luggage.