2002 SUV/Pickup Crossovers

Cadillac has created a new niche for itself by borrowing a concept from Chevrolet and giving it the full luxury treatment. Chevrolet launched its Avalanche sport utility truck in mid-2001, and Cadillac follows with the Escalade EXT, expected at dealerships in January 2002. One of the many crossover vehicles to hit the market this year and introduced in January 2001 at Detroit’s North American International Auto Show, it blends the luxury cab on an Escalade sport utility vehicle with the cargo bed of a pickup truck. Ford introduced the idea earlier with its Explorer Sport Trac.

Is it a four-door pickup truck? Or is it a sport utility vehicle that happens to have an open cargo bed? The Avalanche is both and more. Chevrolet calls it “the ultimate utility vehicle” — a designation also given to the Lincoln Blackwood,which is also new for 2002. In fact, Ford was first with the basic idea by launching its Explorer Sport Trac in 2000. Cadillac joins the fray in January 2002 with its new Escalade EXT. All four are considered crossover models, which combine the benefits of flexible passenger and cargo configurations in a truck-based vehicle that’s designed for heavy-duty tasks.

Ford’s SUV/pickup truck hybrid was introduced as an early 2001 model and soon proved to be surprisingly popular. In fact, buyers have been snapping them up eagerly since its debut. Essentially, the Sport Trac is a previous-generation four-door, five-passenger Explorer with an open, 4-foot, pickup-style cargo box at the rear. Ford targets buyers who need a utility vehicle that might actually get dirty by going off-road, hauling mountain bikes and other lifestyle accessories, or carrying lumber and gardening supplies.

Lincoln enters the small-but-growing sport utility truck segment for 2002 with the Blackwood, first seen in concept form at the 1999 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, where it took the competition by surprise. Basically, designers transformed Lincoln’s Navigator sport utility vehicle into a luxurious crew-cab pickup. Chevrolet later announced the development of its Avalanche pickup/SUV hybrid, and Ford introduced the Explorer Sport Trac that combined the attributes of a pickup and SUV. Cadillac will also enter this area with its 2002 Escalade EXT, so the Lincoln Blackwood faces several competitors.