Boxy Cars: Top 10 Vehicles That Are Hip To Be Square

Aerodynamics and square shapes generally do not get along. A flat surface does not cut through the air with great efficiency.

In the great quest for improved efficiency, it’s a simple principle that influences the design of nearly every plane, train and automobile. Smooth, wind-sculpted surfaces are the name of the game today, minimizing drag and maximizing performance.

Remember back in the 1980s when nearly every car and SUV sold was a box on wheels? That mostly ended in the 1990s when a new era of curved sheetmetal and aerodynamic understanding came into existence.

But sometimes, a motorized vehicle defies that convention. Something that is proud of its sharp, 90-degree creases and flat panels. These are the boxy cars and we’ve gathered ten examples still on sale today.

Starting off our list is the boxiest passenger vehicle available in North America, the Mercedes-Benz G-Class. Tracing its roots back to the 1970s, this SUV is a holdover design that rarely gets updated. The first generation G-Wagen lasted from 1979 until 1992. It was then replaced by an all-new model that looked nearly identical to the old SUV. This second generation G-Class would last in production until 2018. Yup, in nearly 30 years, there were a total of two generations of G-Class.

The newest generation is a wee bit more rounded in the frontend, but still features the trademark slab-side styling. It can be had with a pair of V8 engines, a 416 hp unit or the fire-breathing 577 hp one found in the AMG. Like its boxy styling, the G-Class has never lost its off-road capabilities. Although with a six-digit price tag, don’t expect many to be punished through a sketchy stretch of trail.

At the more affordable end of the square off-road SUV spectrum is the Jeep Wrangler. Like the G-Class, the Wrangler has been in production for a long time; much longer actually with roots dating back to World War II. Through its various forms and names, this Jeep has always worn instantly recognizable sheetmetal. Even if the hood does round down to the pronounced fender flares, the SUV is a flat sided box from the windshield rearward.

All-new for 2024, the Wrangler can be had with a turbocharged four-cylinder engine, a V6 or even a 470 hp V8 engine. Oh, and don’t forget that Jeep also offers a plug-in hybrid version. Little on the market can keep up with a Wrangler when it comes to serious off-roading.

Whereas the Wrangler has continued in production for several decades, the Ford Bronco came back after a long hiatus. Originally conceived in the 1960s, the Bronco was a boxy off-road SUV right up until its demise in 1996. But recently the fabled nameplate returned, designed to take Jeep’s iconic off-roader head-on. Available as two-door or a four-door, the Bronco features flat surfaces a plenty, especially when equipped with the removable hardtop.

Complementing this rugged off-road SUV is the smaller Bronco Sport. Taking many styling cues from its bigger brother, the Bronco Sport is slightly more rounded overall. But when compared to the rest of the compact crossover market, it looks positively boxy side-by-side with the Nissan Rogue, Honda CR-V or Hyundai Tucson.

Finishing off the historically rich nameplates with off-road pedigree is the Land Rover Defender. Although the actual name Defender merely dates back to the early 1980s, this vehicle’s lineage goes back decades earlier. While North Americans were falling in love with the capabilities of Jeeps, the rest of the world knew the mountain-goat-like prowess of the Land Rover.

The latest Defender is available in three lenghts, with one two-door model and a pair of four-doors, the longest of which is the gloriously stretched 130 model. Land Rover did not tame the SUVs off-road ability and now gives consumers the choice of three engines, including a brawny 518 hp V8.

Seeing an all-electric vehicle on a list about boxy cars may seem out of place. But the Rivian R1S proves our point that large SUVs can’t escape the need to be practical over stylish. The R1S is a three-row SUV powered by four electric motors that make a combined 700 hp. This should be good enough to get the big, squared-off SUV from 0 to 60 mph in about three seconds flat.

But the R1S is not a one trick pony. It’s capable of towing upwards of 7,700 lb and performs fairly serious off-roading with standard A/T tires and up to 14.9-inches of ground clearance.

The Kia Soul is one of the hardest vehicles to classify. It is not really a crossover as it lacks optional all-wheel drive and the usual SUV-like stance. It’s not a hatchback as it is too tall and sits too high off the ground. What we can classify it as though is a boxy vehicle. With slab sides, a flat hatch, and squared-off roof, the Soul is one of the funkier looking cars on sale today. The low headlights with eyebrow-like daytime running lights give it a unique front fascia, even if it not everyone’s cup of tea.

The Soul could also be a rather quick box-on-wheels thanks to the optional 201 hp turbocharged engine option. As part of a facelift for 2023, however, Kia has dropped that engine.

Probably the least boxy looking vehicle on this list, we finish it up with the Toyota 4Runner. It does feature several flat surfaces, including the roof, but has a bit more rear hatch angle and sloping hood line than others on our list. We do give it bonus points for having squared off wheel arches though.

The 4Runner continues to be one of the more capable mid-size SUVs, straddling the line between hardcore off-roader and highway cruiser. It’s a body-on-frame survivor, having been on sale in its current form since the 2010 model year.