The mega-SUV is still alive — and more popular than you’d think
Although we’re now years into a new era of efficiency and electrification, there’s a segment lingering in the background of the automotive realm that many had thought would have died off by now. That’s right, the full-size SUV is still alive and well in the North American market. These grandiose behemoths continue to find new buyers. Not only is the segment not dying off, but according to data from J.D. Power, it has become one of the fastest growing segments of 2018. While the outcry for a family vehicle that isn’t as uncool as the dreaded minivan is understandable, rationalizing the V8 power and unfettered mass and scale that comes with these truck-based urban tanks is the kind of thing that requires a bit of a deeper dive.
CREATURE COMFORTS
Of the core drivers fuelling the full-size SUV segment, the changes and refinement within the category play a crucial role. Much like pickup trucks in recent years, SUVs have been refined far beyond their utilitarian roots. If you look at the premium end of the segment — in particular the Infiniti QX80, Cadillac Escalade, and recently redesigned Lincoln Navigator — these vehicles have taken the upper echelon of luxury from their sedan siblings and amplified them from cosy living room to grand cathedral. There’s no denying new car buyers in every segment are demanding more niceties and creature comforts than ever, and product planners and designers have been happy to oblige. Case in point, even buyers of the more utilitarian Chevrolet Suburban tend to tick the majority of option boxes, according to J.D. Power. While its entry price hovers just north of $58,000, the average transaction price of the category staple hovers somewhere in excess of $70,000. Further cementing this point is the recent boom in the ultra-luxe corner of the segment, with the Bentley Bentayga and Rolls-Royce Cullinan entering the ring. With these new players offering worldclass interior finishes, potent powertrains, and gravity-defying chassis dynamics, the current herd of more mass-market SUVs have a new pair of figureheads from which to draw inspiration. Improvements in efficiency and driving dynamics have also played a significant role, but automakers haven’t exactly reinvented the wheel here. Though the use of lightweight, high-strength alloys have helped shave pounds off of their bodies, these savings are in part offset by the mass of the many niceties now crammed into the passenger cabin. The advent of direct injection, cylinder deactivation, automatic start/stop and other engine efficiencies are also part of the equation that helps move these large units off the showroom floor, but those numbers aren’t as impressive as you might expect. Looking at U.S. EPA fuel-economy data, the Ford Expedition has only seen an improvement of just under 4 L/100 kilometres in its combined fuel economy rating between its launch in 1997 and 2018 on comparable models. In the case of the Toyota Sequoia, its fuel efficiency has been left unchanged since its launch in 2001, coming in at 16.8 L/100 kilometres (14 mpg) combined.
OPTING FOR SPACE
The data behind the growth in the full-size SUV segment speaks for itself. The widely adopted North American mantra of “bigger is better” continues to echo through the car-buying market. Car shoppers — and especially millennials — are opting for larger vehicles than anyone would have expected. According to a Ford survey last year, millennials ranked having children, buying a suburban home and driving a big family vehicle higher in terms of importance than living in a major city or relying on alternative forms of transportation, and though the generation delayed starting a family to a later age than we’ve seen since the 1960s, this shift in lifestyle is having an impact on growth in the segment. As someone who teeters on the cusp of millennial status myself, I can easily attest to the volume of friends and peers that are slowly falling into this category. Whether the impact of living at home for more years than past generations had some sort of psychological impact on this desire for more square footage in both home and transportation is debatable, but I certainly wouldn’t rule it out
REASONS FOR BUYING
And then there’s the question: Do you actually need it? Now, here’s where things get interesting. In a large number of cases, especially within the constructs of a new family moving to suburbia, the simple answer is ... no. Just because you need room for a stroller and groceries, and want all-wheel drive and added ride height, doesn’t justify any of these large SUVs, no matter how cool they are. For those itching to make the towing argument, that’s precisely what a quad-cab pickup truck is designed for. And if the family has grown beyond five members, you definitely start moving into third-row seating territory. But even then, there are plenty of options that are more compact and efficient. The GMC Acadia, Lexus RX L and many other mid-size SUVs boast six- or- seven-passenger seating and still deliver reasonable cargo space with the thirdrow seats stowed. Actual need comes into play when seating for a large family and significant towing capability are both legitimate requirements. Larger families who spend their summers towing a camper trailer can make a more than fair case for vehicles such as the Lexus LX, Cadillac Escalade and others. Speaking in rough numbers, once you get into a trailer that’s more than 20 feet in length, you’ll eclipse the towing threshold of a mid-size SUV. When it comes to boat ownership, the threshold is a fair bit higher, as anything under 30 feet is still below that target. Now, many will argue that it’s better to overshoot your towing capacity by a reasonable margin, to ensure you still have passing power and aren’t overstressing your beloved wheels. However, if you’re occasionally hauling around a 15-foot fishing boat, you aren’t justified in saying you need to own one of the largest passenger vehicles on the road.