In the US and Europe, SUV popularity sets records for average vehicle size

In these regions, rugged SUVs rule the roads. Here’s how vehicle sizes have changed over the past 20 years.

The Paris government’s recent announcement to make life more complicated for heavy vehicles is a sign of the times. SUVs have been leading the world market for 10 years. Whether this is a rational or political move, the truth is that there are other aspects to consider besides weight. Physical size is a factor, especially when navigating narrow streets or finding a parking space downtown.

Vehicles are becoming larger. According to logic, the larger the vehicle, the heavier it will be, but the Paris decision only concerns weight. This required a closer look at the overall size, especially since larger vehicles do not always allow for more space due to infrastructure changes.

America far away:

Americans love big things: food, streets, and of course cars. America is a paradise for big trucks and big SUVs, and highways and parking lots are generally wide, so it’s strange to drive a small car. This practice has been going on since the 1950s.

According to 2003 JATO data, the average length of a passenger car in the United States was 196.5 inches. For reference, this is the length of an executive sedan such as the Mercedes-Benz E-Class. The average width that year was 73.4 inches.

As you can imagine, passenger cars have grown since then, but you may not realize just how much. In 2013, average length increased to his 203.1 inches and width increased to 75.9 inches. This was the period when pickup trucks and SUVs really took hold in the automotive market. But 10 years later, growth continues, and by 2023 it will break the average record.

Last year, the average length of light passenger cars in the United States reached 206.4 inches, and the average width reached 77.1 inches. This is only a few inches different from the new Mercedes-Benz S-Class, and it is worth noting that the increase in size is not associated with large families. In fact, the annual population change in the United States decreased from 0.96% in 2003 to 0.50% last year. The increasing size of cars has a lot to do with comfort, convenience, and safety standards.

Is Europe still buying small cars?

In contrast to U.S. buyers’ preference for larger cars, Europeans have traditionally bought smaller cars. The fact that this city was conceived long before the advent of the automobile explains why parking is such a difficult task. Additionally, Europe is less energy self-sufficient than the United States, so drivers need to be conservative with their fuel consumption.

However, the popularity of large SUVs is undeniable, even among European buyers. In 2003, a few years before SUVs became mainstream on the Old Continent, his average length was 169.8 inches, and his average width was 68.3 inches. This is comparable to Volkswagen’s new Golf. In 2013, these values ​​were up to 174 inches long and 70.7 inches wide. And last year, the European ones were bigger than ever, averaging 178.5 inches and 72.5 inches, to be exact.

The larger car trend is the answer to providing more comfort and convenience, elements that buyers naturally want in a car. The challenge is finding a space on the street or in a parking lot. Will taxes stop this growth trend? We’ll have to wait and see.

The author of this article, Felipe Munoz, is an automotive industry specialist at JATO Dynamics.