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Comment by chiph | Hacker News Reader

> Through this lens it is not surprising that Porsche was an early adopter of the crossover, if they didn’t create it outright with the Cayenne.

I would argue that Honda started the category with the CR-V. Front-wheel drive, unibody construction, emphasis on utility for a typical family, yet has the high driving position of a SUV. They have sold millions of them.

Also, while the author mentions aerodynamics, the one thing that is driving cars to uniformity these days is legislation. Both the European pedestrian safety standard, and the soon-to-be-draconian US CAFE fuel-economy requirements.

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Excellent point on legislation. It has at least once led to divergence of design (80's pop-up headlights) but safety standards, especially pedestrian safety, have dramatically constrained the style of the front end. Low hoods are a thing of the past in part thanks to that.

How does a low hood affect pedestrian safety? I'd much rather be flipped over the car then hit and possibly pushed under. Any studies on this, perhaps?

I love comments like this. "I have a random hunch about a subject I have spent 30 seconds thinking about. I bet it is correct and the regulators who have full time jobs researching this are wrong"

It's an opportunity to both present my view, even if it is biased and probably flawed, as well as to invite discussion and debate. Additionally, in a setting where individuals with a wide body of knowledge and experience are present.

https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Cunningham%27s_Law - The best way to get an answer on the internet is to say the wrong thing.

This is why I always say dumb things. It's not that I'm looking to make you ignorant, it's that I want you to make me knowledgeable.

It provides room for the hood to give when your head hits it.

"The hood of most vehicles is usually fabricated from sheet metal, which is a compliant energy absorbing structure and thus poses a comparatively small threat. Most serious head injuries occur when there is insufficient clearance between the hood and the stiff underlying engine components. A gap of approximately 10 cm is usually enough to allow the pedestrian’s head to have a controlled deceleration and a significantly reduced risk of death[3]. Creating room under the hood is not always easy because usually there are other design constraints, such as aerodynamics and styling. In some regions of the hood it can be impossible. These include along the edges on which the hood is mounted and the cowl, where the hood meets the windshield. Engineers have attempted to overcome this problem by using deformable mounts, and by developing more ambitious solutions such as airbags that are activated during the crash and cover the stiff regions of the hood[4]. Some models, like the Citroën C6 and Jaguar XK feature a novel pop-up bonnet design, which adds 6.5 cm (2.5", C6) extra clearance over the engine block if the bumper senses a hit. In 2012 and 2015, the Volvo V40 and the Land Rover Discovery Sport have a under-the hood airbag with operates if the hood senses a hit. The airbag also covers the windshield pillars to provide better protection in all areas struck by the pedestrian's head." there's a great wikipedia article about it.[1]

[1]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedestrian_safety_through_vehi...

It's not just the low hood (for crumple-area), but also the curve of the leading edge. In older SUVs (and still in today's full-size pickups) the front was squared-off and blunt, and this lead to people getting injured by that sharp edge. With the curved leading edge the pedestrians have a much more progressive landing on the hood.

A car like the mid-70's Aston Martin Lagonda with it's knife-edge grill will never be built again.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Aston_Ma...

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