A utility vehicle (UV) is a

vehicle A vehicle () is a machine designed for self-propulsion, usually to transport people, cargo, or both. The term "vehicle" typically refers to land vehicles such as human-powered land vehicle, human-powered vehicles (e.g. bicycles, tricycles, velo ...

, generally motorized, that is designed to carry out a specific task with more

efficacy Efficacy is the ability to perform a task to a satisfactory or expected degree. The word comes from the same roots as '' effectiveness'', and it has often been used synonymously, although in pharmacology a distinction is now often made betwee ...

than a passenger vehicle. It sometimes refers to a small

truck A truck or lorry is a motor vehicle designed to transport freight, carry specialized payloads, or perform other utilitarian work. Trucks vary greatly in size, power, and configuration, but the vast majority feature body-on-frame construct ...

with low sides.

Types of utility vehicles

Military light utility vehicle

Military light utility vehicle, or simply light utility vehicle (LUV), is a term used for the lightest weight class military vehicle category. A Jeep-like four-wheel drive vehicle for military use by definition lighter than other military trucks and vehicles, inherently compact and usually with light or no armour, with short body overhangs for nimble all-terrain mobility, and frequently around 4-passenger capacity.

Armored utility vehicle

The military also uses armored utility vehicles.

Multi-utility vehicle

These are larger vehicles which can tackle a wide range of applications. They typically allow easy conversion between multiple combinations of passenger and luggage capacity.

Sport utility vehicle (SUV)

Traditionally, these are vehicles similar to a

station wagon A station wagon (American English, US, also wagon) or estate car (British English, UK, also estate) is an automotive Car body style, body-style variant of a Sedan (automobile), sedan with its roof extended rearward over a shared passenger/cargo ...

but built on a light-truck chassis and equipped with four-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, amongst other off-road hardware. Their primary purpose is to display better off-road and towing capabilities with higher seating capacity.

Crossover utility vehicle

Station wagon A station wagon (American English, US, also wagon) or estate car (British English, UK, also estate) is an automotive Car body style, body-style variant of a Sedan (automobile), sedan with its roof extended rearward over a shared passenger/cargo ...

s based on a car chassis, but built to resemble sport utility vehicles. They have a limited off-road capability but sportier on-road behavior than SUVs. May also be referred to as a "Sports Activity Vehicle", as is the case with BMW's X-range of vehicles.

Light equipment

Vehicles like the Kawasaki MULE in which a flatbed is added to an all terrain vehicle. Generally used as a maintenance vehicle. A

jeep Jeep is an American automobile brand, now owned by multi-national corporation Stellantis. Jeep has been part of Chrysler since 1987, when Chrysler acquired the Jeep brand, along with other assets, from its previous owner, American Motors Co ...

is a type of light

off-road vehicle An off-road vehicle (ORV), also known as an off-highway vehicle (OHV), overland vehicle or adventure vehicle, is a type of transportation specifically engineered to navigate unpaved roads and surfaces. These include trails, forest roads, and ...

, originally used by the

US military The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. U.S. federal law names six armed forces: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and the Coast Guard. Since 1949, all of the armed forces, except th ...

, with

four-wheel drive A four-wheel drive, also called 4×4 ("four by four") or 4WD, is a two-axled vehicle drivetrain capable of providing torque to all of its wheels simultaneously. It may be full-time or on-demand, and is typically linked via a transfer case pr ...

for general utility work that required travelling over rough terrain.

Coupé utility or tray utility vehicle

Vehicles featuring a coupé passenger compartment with an attached cargo bed. All-steel-bodied, sedan-cabined utility vehicles, more commonly called ''utes'', were popular in Australia.

Utility truck

Utility trucks or sport utility trucks (SUT), commonly known as pickup trucks in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

, are similar to coupé utilities. The main difference is that they are either explicitly built for purpose or based upon sport utility vehicles rather than being produced by modifying existing passenger vehicles. They combine elements of road-going passenger cars with features from off-road vehicles, such as raised ground clearance and four-wheel drive.

Utility task vehicle

The ''Side-by-side (SxS)'', a utility task vehicle (UTV), is a small four-wheel off-road vehicle. It has a side-by-side seating arrangement, and UTVs often have seat belts, roll-over protection and a storage box at the vehicle's rear. In 2017, the UTV category was added to the Rally Dakar.

References

{{Reflist Vehicles by purpose