A utility vehicle is a

vehicle A vehicle (from la, vehiculum) is a machine that transports people or cargo. Vehicles include wagons, bicycles, motor vehicles (motorcycles, cars, trucks, buses, mobility scooters for disabled people), railed vehicles (trains, trams), ...

, 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 between ...

than a passenger vehicle. It sometimes refers to a small

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

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 an
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 use armored utility vehicles.

Sport utility vehicle (SUV)

Traditionally, these are vehicles similar to a

station wagon A station wagon ( US, also wagon) or estate car ( UK, also estate), is an automotive body-style variant of a sedan/saloon with its roof extended rearward over a shared passenger/cargo volume with access at the back via a third or fifth door ( ...

, 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 superior off-road and towing capabilities, with higher seating capacity.

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.

Crossover utility vehicle

Station wagon A station wagon ( US, also wagon) or estate car ( UK, also estate), is an automotive body-style variant of a sedan/saloon with its roof extended rearward over a shared passenger/cargo volume with access at the back via a third or fifth door ( ...

s based on a car chassis, but built to resemble sport utility vehicles. They have 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 flat bed is added to an all terrain vehicle. Generally used as a maintenance vehicle. A

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

is a type of light utility vehicle, originally used by the US military, with

four-wheel drive Four-wheel drive, also called 4×4 ("four by four") or 4WD, refers to 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 ca ...

for travelling over rough terrain.

Coupé utility or tray utility vehicle

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

Sports utility truck or vehicle(SUV), utility truck or pickup truck

Utility trucks, (known as

pickup truck A pickup truck or pickup is a light-duty truck that has an enclosed cabin, and a back end made up of a cargo bed that is enclosed by three low walls with no roof (this cargo bed back end sometimes consists of a tailgate and removable covering) ...

s in the US) are similar to Coupé utilities. The main difference being that they are either built specifically for purpose or based upon Sports 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)'', also known as utility task vehicle (UTV), is 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 rear of the vehicle. In 2017, the UTV category was added to the

Rally Dakar The Dakar Rally (or simply "The Dakar"; formerly known as the "Paris–Dakar Rally") is an annual rally raid organised by the Amaury Sport Organisation. Most events since the inception in 1978 were staged from Paris, France, to Dakar, Sene ...

References

{{reflist Vehicles by purpose