Five reasons to resist the unstoppable rise of SUVs

More than half of the new cars sold in 2022 were SUVs and crossovers of all sizes. It is the type of vehicle that has been in fashion for several years now and everything indicates that it will continue to be so. However, we want to propose five reasons to resist the unstoppable rise of SUVs.

According to ANFAC, 22.9% of the new cars registered in 2022 were compact SUVs and 29.8% were medium-sized ones, that is, the B-SUV and C-SUV segments, the most competitive. Together they make a total of 52.7%.

The advance of SUVs has been so powerful over the last decade that it has eaten up other more traditional segments that, until now, enjoyed very good health in the market.

We refer to sedans, family cars, minivans and even pure SUVs. The public has stopped buying these vehicles to get an SUV, which has caused some brands to have given up continuing to produce traditional models.

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There is life beyond SUVs

We have many examples: the Ford Mondeo is no longer manufactured and there are only a few units left in stock. The new generation of the Volkswagen Passat will renounce the sedan and will only be sold in a family format, which still enjoys a reputation in Europe. Citroën no longer offers a sedan in its catalog as before. And so we could continue.

However, there is life beyond SUVs. The market is full of alternatives that can satisfy the same needs that, emotionally, many attribute to SUVs and crossovers: practicality, versatility, large trunk…

Nor is it about proposing an amendment to the totality against SUVs, but we do want to underline the existence of interesting alternatives. Therefore, we give you five reasons to resist the unstoppable rise of SUVs.

skoda octavia combi

A classic on the market and one of the best options for those who want a practical, spacious car, with a huge trunk and very well resolved. The sedan already has a 600-litre boot, but the Combi version goes up to 640 litres, making it the car with the most boot in its category.

There aren’t many similarly sized SUVs that offer a trunk as big as the Octavia’s. To this, we must add a remarkable habitability inside, with plenty of legroom in the rear seats and a very good height for the head.

As you can see, for space and trunk, the Czech sedan has absolutely nothing to envy to any SUV. It even surpasses many of them.

Volkswagen Passat Variant

Another serious alternative to an SUV is the Passat Variant, a model that improves the trunk volume of the Octavia, with 650 liters, but is also from a higher segment. It can reach up to 1,780 liters, folding down the rear seats. Enough space to put even a mattress.

On board, rear-seat passengers have plenty of head and legroom. It has a very balanced suspension, which allows it to absorb bumps correctly, although it shows a little ‘bounce’ on the front axle when going over some cobblestones, for example.

Without having sporting pretensions, the family Passat does not clash on a winding road, although it is a car that tends to prioritize comfort. It is completed with a very high quality finish, correct technological equipment and a wide range of gasoline and diesel engines.

Dacia Jogger

The Dacia Jogger is one of the best options if you don’t want to be tempted to buy an SUV. And it is also the best option for those who need a family vehicle with up to seven seats and have a low budget. There is no better relation between price and space on the market.

In truth, the Jogger is a mix between a minivan and a crossover, but it’s closer to the former than the latter. It includes some SUV aesthetic features to make it more visually appealing to attract potential SUV buyers.

As usual in the Romanian brand, this is a simple car, without great technological fanfare, but with sufficient suspension comfort and smoothness, sufficient equipment to satisfy most basic needs, such as connectivity services, and a engine that runs on LPG and obtains the ECO label.

It is very spacious inside, it is available in two configurations, five and seven seats, and has a trunk of up to 607 liters (160 liters if the seven seats are used).

mercedes t-class

The Mercedes T-Class is a different concept, a kind of minivan derived from a van or commercial vehicle, but much better equipped and refined than these. In this way, a second life is given to the minivans of yesteryear that became so popular.

The T-Class is 4.50 meters long, has five seats and has a clear family and leisure vocation. In fact, the German brand offers endless accessories for all kinds of needs, such as pet cages, folding tables, bike racks and more.

It is available with two mechanical options, a 116 CV diesel and a 131 CV gasoline one, linked to a manual or automatic transmission.

The fact that it is a vehicle that derives from a van has some advantages: it offers practical solutions, such as sliding rear doors that facilitate access to the interior, and its cubic shapes make that space very usable. The trunk declares 520 liters.

Seat Leon

The fifth reason to resist an SUV is the compact of a lifetime, a car that, although it will not be as spacious or have such a high driving position, it still meets most of the needs of an average family.

In this category, the Seat León stands out for several reasons: first, it has a spacious interior for four passengers and, although its design is austere, it is well executed and the feeling of quality is good.

Secondly, it’s a nice car to drive, both in everyday life and on highways, it’s well soundproofed and the suspensions do an excellent job. For those looking for a more sporty behavior, the FR version will meet that demand.

Third, it offers a wide range of engines that includes diesel, gasoline, mild-hybrid, natural gas and plug-in hybrid options. The trunk offers a normal capacity, 380 liters, but the family version reaches 620 liters, an impressive figure.