Sulu

In Canada, we have gotten into the habit of labelling car-based sport utility vehicles as crossover utility vehicles (CUV) or simply crossovers. That is to differentiate the unibody, lower-riding, car-based utility vehicles from the higher-riding (and possibly body-on-frame, truck-based) sport utility vehicles.

As more and more sport utility vehicles are simply car-based wagons and hatchbacks with SUV styling cues (larger-diameter tires, perhaps a bit higher suspension, and black lower-body and lower-bumper cladding), I believe that we should start to differentiate the large, top-heavy SUVs -- both unibody models like the Mercedes-Benz GLE and GLS, and body-on-frame models like the Toyota 4Runner -- from the crossovers (wagons with SUV styling cues).

When in Singapore this summer, I was surprised to see a somewhat different Mercedes-Benz GLA crossover: It had a lower suspension than in North America so it was that much more like a compact wagon rather than the butchy, high-riding North American GLA.

I have no doubt that any Lotus SUV will be a lower-riding, wagon- / hatchback-based crossover like the Infiniti QX30 or MB GLA or BMW X1, and not a higher-riding SUV like the Porsche Cayenne or MB GLE or BMW X5. So, yes, it will handle much better than the Porsche Cayenne or MB GLE or BMW X5.