A few words on the popularity of SUVs

One of the most visible trends in the automotive world in recent years is the huge rise in the popularity of SUVs. Year after year, more and more models of this type appear on the streets, and their market share keeps climbing significantly. According to research by the automotive market agency Jato, more than 30% of all new registrations in both the USA and Europe are now vehicles of this kind. In other words, every third new car is an SUV. So where does the popularity of this body style actually come from?

A brief history of the SUV

The Jeep Wagoneer, which hit the US market in 1962, is considered the pioneer of the SUV. Jeep's role in the off-road segment left such a lasting mark on the public consciousness that to this day cars in this class are still colloquially called "jeeps". The European chapter of the story goes back to the 1970s and centres on the legendary Range Rover. Its hallmarks were the ability to handle any conditions, four-wheel drive, a body-on-frame construction, and features handy for tougher terrain such as low-range gearboxes and differential locks. The first real revolution came from Toyota with the launch of the RAV4. Combining the classic functionality of an SUV with the agility of a typical C-segment car like the Toyota Corolla proved to be a bullseye. The model's growing popularity led to another Toyota experiment: in 1996 a front-wheel-drive-only version was introduced, which at the time seemed controversial to say the least. Despite the doubts, sales of this model rose once again. Over the years, other manufacturers began to notice the popularity of SUVs and added new models to their line-ups, or turned their existing cars into "off-road" versions. With each passing year, the distinctive features of the segment's original representatives, such as low-range gearboxes or four-wheel drive, appeared less and less often. Although these cars still cope better in difficult conditions than the average hatchback, their genuine off-road ability has noticeably declined. The scale of sales, however, seems to confirm that this was the right direction. The arrival of the first SUV models in the ranges of brands like BMW (the X5), Porsche (the Cayenne) and Audi (the Q7) caused a particular stir. Today, virtually every manufacturer offers a car in this class, including makers associated with luxury vehicles such as the famously conservative Rolls-Royce or Aston Martin.

Reasons behind the popularity

So where does the enormous popularity of SUVs and their slightly smaller relatives, the crossovers, come from in recent years? A key factor driving this trend is undoubtedly the higher seating position behind the wheel, which creates a sense of greater safety and provides better visibility. The elevated position also makes getting in and out easier, especially for taller people. Versatility matters too: thanks to their roomy interior and generous boot space, SUVs work well as a family car. On top of that, with the strong emphasis on design, they make excellent stylish city cars, and if you fancy a trip out of town or even onto rougher terrain, what could be better than a model related to genuine off-roaders?

The future

The SUV market has been enjoying a real boom in recent years, but the question is how long this state of affairs will last. If we were to look for potential reasons why the trend might reverse in the future, we would most likely point to the main drawbacks of this type of car, difficulties with parking and moving through increasingly congested roads, and relatively high fuel consumption. The first drawback translates into the growing popularity of crossovers, or "smaller SUVs", such as the Seat Arona or the Volkswagen T-Roc. The second pushes manufacturers to meet global and EU emissions regulations, which is why SUV makers are devoting ever more attention to expanding their range of hybrid and electric models. We can already see a very strong trend of moving away from the most environmentally harmful diesel engines, and in the future the shift toward hybrid and electric models, as across the entire automotive market, will only grow stronger.