By JOE YOGERST
Special Advetising Sections Writer

Sport-utility vehicles (SUVs) were developed in the late 1980s for the male driver who craved something different — a rugged truck-like vehicle with the comfort and handling of an upscale sedan. But over the past few years, SUV makers have discovered these vehicles are just as attractive to women.

In fact, women now purchase roughly 40% of the 9.2 million sport-utility vehicles and pickup trucks sold in the U.S. each year, according to auto research firm R.L. Polk. Mid-sized and compact models, such as the Jeep Grand Cherokee, Kia Sportage and Ford Explorer, have been especially popular with female buyers.

British-based Land Rover said that the number of women buying its cars is increasing, with roughly 32% of its 35,506 customer base now female. The introduction of the LR3 is one reason for that increase. In addition to the LR3’s carpool-flexible seven-seat configuration, it offers a kid-friendly rear-seat entertainment option with three auxiliary ports (for DVD or MP3 players or videogame consoles) on each side of the vehicle. And getting in and out of the vehicle is made easier with an adjustable air suspension feature that lowers the vehicle by two inches.

Dodge reports that women purchase nearly half of the 120,000 Dodge Durango SUVs it sells each year. They are buyers such as Nancy Freed of San Diego, who traded in her minivan for a Durango.

“ I needed something larger for the kids and all the sports equipment and friends they want me to haul around,” Freed said. “It also feels safer to be in a bigger car. And driving an SUV makes me feel less x like a taxi driver for the kids and more like I’m driving for my own pleasure.”

Surveys and studies reveal that women purchase SUVs because they consider them fun and safe to drive. But in making their selections, women also consider such factors as passenger seating capacity, durability, reliability and gas mileage.

Some automakers, such as Toyota, market their SUVs directly to the female market. There are numerous reasons why such models as the Highlander and RAV4 would appeal to women, said Bill Kwong of Toyota USA.

“ Both vehicles are perfect for female drivers since they were designed for tall seating height in addition to the interior seating versatility,” Kwong said.

As a result, women are able to see over the hood, resulting in an unobstructed view of the road. In addition, the seats were designed so that women would not have to stretch their legs as far to get in or out of the vehicle, especially when wearing skirts.

Other RAV4 features that appeal to women are its Toyota Star Safety System, which includes ABS brakes with electronic brake-force distribution, traction control and vehicle stability control, according to Kwong.

Women bought more than two-thirds of the 74,000 RAV4s sold in the U.S. in — a figure topped only by the Volkswagen New Beetle (76%) among vehicles sold in the U.S.

Volvo’s stylish XC90 is another SUV with definite female appeal. First introduced in 2002 as the “next generation SUV,” the vehicle was recently redesigned with loads of new features and options, including a powerful V-8 engine, six-speed automatic transmission and state-of-the-art electronic AWD drive system with instant traction.

“ Historically, Volvos have always been appealing to women,” said James Hope of Volvo Cars North America. Part of that appeal is the high ratings that the automaker has long received in vehicle safety tests. “We looked at the SUV market very carefully before jumping — we were very late to enter, by the way — and we still saw growth within the segment.”

Especially when it came to female buyers.

“ Powerful without being aggressive” is how the Volvo engineers describe the overall look of this seven-passenger XC-90.

Among its many safety features are inflatable side air bags in all three seating rows, seat belt pretensioners in all three rows and the world’s first gyroscopic roll stability control system.

“ We also have thoughtful features such as a sliding middle row seat that positions a child closer to the driver,” Hope said.

Honda also makes a couple of SUVs with strong female appeal, the CR-V and Pilot. Although Honda claims the CR-V wasn’t designed with women in mind, the Japanese import was one of two sport-utility vehicles that made Western Driver magazine’s list of the “Top 10 Chick Cars.”

In addition to its compact size and good gas mileage, the CR-V offers a number of female-friendly accessories such as heated front seats and outside mirrors, larger than normal central armrests with multiple compartments, and designer-like color options such as Pewter Pearl.

Another CR-V trump card is safety — the vehicle scored a five-star crash test rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Standard on all 2005 models are three different types of air bags, including Honda’s brand new side curtain air bags with rollover sensor, anti-lock braking system and a vehicle stability assist system to minimize skidding.

Women engineers and designers are creating more and more of these safety and comfort features.

Volvo, for example, hired an all-female team to design its sleek YCC concept car, which debuted earlier this year to rave reviews from the automotive press.

According to auto industry columnist Jim Walczak, women designers are responsible for the introduction of numerous SUV innovations, including thinner, easier-to-grip steering wheels, optional third-row seating, improved line of sight over the front hood and drop-down mirrors (to keep an eye on children in the back seat).

Joe Yogerst is a freelance writer in San Diego.

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