We're talking about a fundamental redesign so that the Next Generation Hybrid SUV is not simply a whacking great heavy truck

Okaaaayyy... so why will your "fundamental redesign" be called a "SUV" and not a "Car"?

What defines an SUV? Bigness. Four wheel drive. An upright (tall) body design. Ruggedness (even if it is just the appearance of ruggedness). Power.

None of these things is conducive to economical operation. If you "fundamentally redesign" the vehicle to overcome these shortcomings, you will no longer have an SUV, at least not an SUV as most buyers would define it.

tanstaafl.