Comment on Australians are obsessed with SUVs and huge utes, but experts say they are making our roads deadlier
brisk@aussie.zone 3 days ago
I’m curious if it’s actually preference or if it’s supply side. From casual browsing Toyota looks to have completely eliminated their small cars (e.g. Echo) and their smaller cars (e.g. Yaris) are getting bigger and more SUV-like. Volvo stopped selling their station wagons in favour of SUVs and I can’t think of any station wagons left on the market. Most of the EVs in the Australian market seem to be SUV-like, especially the MGs which have dominated the “remotely affordable” category for a while.
It’s possible the manufacturers are just responding to consumer demands, but I’d like to see some evidence of who’s driving the change.
Most of the EVs in the Australian market seem to be SUV-like
Eh, there’s SUVs and there’s SUVs. Manufacturers have taken to calling everything an SUV because people will pay more that way.
My EV gets called a “compact SUV” but really it’s an oversized hatch.
Indeed it is a trend. e.g. I really like the earlier Subaru Forester size. Now they’re just like the rest. Sad and unnecessary imo.
I have a 2006 Forester, but a couple of my family members have the newer models. The size difference is quite significant when we’re parked side-by-side, mine looks like a small car these days.
It’s expensive to develop a car in general because of ever increasing safety and tech requirements. It’s probably $10k of safety equipment per car. That’s part of the reason why the Yaris is $30k right now. The days of mass producing a small car on razor thin margins is incredibly risky and offers little reward.
The other thing is a change in consumer demand. People will happily fork out more for larger vehicles, and some will fork out tonnes for off-road based cars. These can offer very healthy margins.
There’s is also cleaver marketing, in that in large parts of Australia, you “must” have a big 4wd. I have driven my Suzuki all around Australia can safely say you don’t need a 4wd unless you plan on going off-road.
As a Jimny owner and driver, you don’t need a giant 4WD, even if you do go OffRoad.
I do struggle occasionally when arseholes in giant light-trucks have chewed up the track before me and left huge, impassable ruts.
Love the Jimny, yeah sometimes you get to ruts and think “did a Sherman tank just drive through here?”
Longmactoppedup@aussie.zone 3 days ago
As a fan of wagons, yes it sucks that there are so few left to buy.
The European manufactures still sell wagons here. But $$$
There is also still the WRX wagon.
dumblederp@aussie.zone 3 days ago
My 06 forester was tiny compared to my friends 2019 one.
Salvo@aussie.zone 2 days ago
ICE Cars are getting bigger (and heavier). EVs are significantly heavier again.
The combination of passive safety systems (like impact bars, SRS and crumple-zones) improve your chances of survivability when interacting with a larger vehicle at the expense of weight.
The problem as that this has resulted in a rat-race of bigger and bigger (and less manageable) vehicles.
To deal with such large vehicles, Driver Assistance Systems need to be integrated, which adds more weight and increases driver complacency.
Ilandar@lemm.ee 2 days ago
I know how you feel! I have the same year while a couple of my family members have the newer (larger) ones. They don’t even look like they’re from the same series.
Salvo@aussie.zone 2 days ago
Impreza wagons are technically wagons, but more closely resemble a Hot Hatch.
Pretty much every subcompact wagon is really a hatch.