Comments by "Stephen Hendricks" (@stephenhendricks103) on "" video.
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Sofyan appears to complain that the Niro EV fails to be a "true" crossover. I think that view is misplaced. The label "crossover" is mushy, at best. Calling a vehicle a "crossover" (or even an SUV) seems to be a marketing strategy rather than a reference to a specific design and set of features. Is AWD a necessary feature in a "crossover"? Apparently not since vehicles that manufacturers designate as crossovers offering both FWD and AWD sell more of the former than the latter. Does it have to have true "off-road" capabilities. Again, apparently not since owners of crossovers seldom encounter any environment other than pavement. Some plastic trim bits? Well, yes, that does appear to be a requirement but that's about it.
Vehicles like the Niro, the Kona, the Soul and other sub-compact "crossovers" (and even compact size "crossovers" from Japanese and European manufacturers) are more precisely designated as "hatchbacks." A vehicle with four doors, folding rear seats, an open cargo space accessed via a rear door (usually a liftgate) rather than a separate trunk and unibody rather than body-on-frame design.
But manufacturers recognize that "crossover" is a much more appealing label than "hatchback," a term that, at least for Americans, bears a stigma of being "cheap" and an expectation that a vehicle is relatively inexpensive. The bottom line is that consumers are willing to pay more for a vehicle with a crossover label than one designated as a hatchback. And to manufacturers that's critically important.
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