A senior KIA official warns that the era of SUVs is coming to an end and shows that the days of traditional SUVs are numbered. KarimHabib, KIA's Head of Design, explains that the rise of SUVs was due to minivan drivers looking for something new.
SUV-type vehicles are the main protagonist in Europe and in other large automobile markets. The "fever" for SUVs shows no signs of subsiding in the short term. And for this, it is enough to take a quick look at the sales figures. Approximately one in two new cars sold in the European territory is an SUV. They are the particular "locomotive" that drives our market.
Have SUVs peaked or is there room for growth? It is one of the questions that we must ask ourselves when carrying out an analysis of the immediate future for a type of vehicle that, at this time, is of vital importance to the automotive industry. In the month of April 2023, SUV registrations totaled 492,000 units. Sufficient volume to achieve a record market share of 51.3%.
KIA says the end of the SUV era is near
With these sales figures, it would be expected that SUVs have a long way to go. However, the controversial statements made by a senior official of the KIA brand show that "the fall of the SUV" is not as far away as it appears a priori. This is clearly stated by Karim Habib, KIA's Head of Design, who was present on the scene of the recent KIA EV9 presentation event.
The new EV9 is, curiously, an SUV. And it's not a small SUV. The EV9 will be the largest SUV ever marketed by KIA in Europe. A 100% electric vehicle in which up to seven passengers can travel inside. It is based on the new design language “Opposites United”. A philosophy in whose creation Habib has played a leading role.
When asked about the future of SUV-type vehicles, Habib was surprised by assuring that the post-SUV era is coming: “SUVs were perhaps a learning curve for people who drove minivans and were tired of it. The post-SUV is coming." Some comments have not gone unnoticed and that is in line with the position that other car brands are adopting.
The days of traditional SUVs are numbered
In recent months there have been several brands that have insinuated that the days of traditional SUVs, that is, vehicles with a vertical shape of two boxes, totally oriented towards the highway and the city, are numbered. The search for greater aerodynamic efficiency and the context of switching to electric vehicles make it unfeasible to continue betting on said design formula.
“We will try different things. I think there are more efficient ways to make space. Electric SUVs are trying to be super stylish. We wanted to try to achieve the aerodynamic efficiency that would lead to the range that we want to have. If the SUVs manage to prove that, they will not survive," Habib said.
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