ALSO SEE: Why Tesla Model X Electric SUV Was Late: Range, Towing, 'Falcon Doors' (Feb 2015) The Model X has no ladder frame, it's not based on an existing truck model, and its off-road abilities are likely limited to muddy lacrosse fields and gravel estate roadways. So we can rule out SUV, at least in the auto industry's definition of the word. Crossover (utility vehicle) The auto industry defines a crossover utility vehicle (sometimes abbreviated CUV) as a vehicle with an SUV-like body that offers all-wheel drive and has more ground clearance than a passenger car. 2016 Buick Enclave But, crucially, it's not built on a truck platform, but using the unibody underpinnings of a passenger car. The Model X presently comes only with all-wheel drive, and given the Model S experience, that likely boosts its efficiency over a hypothetical rear-wheel drive variant. It also has 8 inches of ground clearance, with air suspension that can add or subtract 1.5 inches. That's more than large crossovers like the Buick Enclave, for instance. 2016 Tesla Model X So if you think the Model X sufficiently resembles a classic, boxy SUV, then this definition might work. Except that it doesn't resemble one by any stretch of the imagination: It's nothing so much as an overinflated Model S fastback. On the other hand, BMW, Mercedes, and other luxury makers are introducing so-called "sport utility coupes" that are crossovers with fastback rooflines.