FUTURE TREND: The return of the MPV?

“WITH the BMW XM being the latest to join the five-metre-plus luxury SUV club, it could seem that the rise of the behemoth off-roader knows no bounds. But this might not actually be the case.

“Manufacturers are launching enormous luxury cars with the commanding seating position of SUVs, but that don’t rely on go-anywhere-styling. Designers are revisiting a type of car that was popular before SUVs became ubiquitous: the Multi-person Vehicle (MPV).

“For years, the Mercedes V-Class (and more recently the EQV) were the only serious players in this segment in the UK and Europe, but a new generation of cars is set to ignite the high-end MPV market. Lexus’ brand-new flagship LM starts at nearly £90K and has a ‘one box’ silhouette like MPVs of the 1990s and early 2000s.

“The LM wouldn’t dream of going off road, so it avoids the knuckle-shaped arches, bumpers and sills of an SUV. But it’s no shrinking violet; its design has a dramatic presence to reflect its mission: to create an opulent environment for affluent people while owning the road. Volvo’s recently revealed EM90 and LEVC’s L380 have joined the fired-up super-luxury MPV fray, but for now at least, they will only be available in China.

“Is this the beginning of the end for the T-Rex SUV? Surely not. But we may well see more manufacturers diversifying their line-ups. Perhaps MPVs will make a comeback in the less luxurious end of the market too.”