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The choice of model is determined by each person’s priorities
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According to Laurin Bogushevich, founder and CEO of the car sales company Deals on Wheels, at least 60 percent of new cars sold in Lithuania are various types of SUVs, crossovers and other high-clearance models. According to an industry connoisseur, the popularity of these cars has grown in geometric progression over the past decade.
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“The demand for SUV models will definitely not decrease in the near future, because buyers love these cars very much. The wave of popularity came to us a little later, but since Lithuanians discovered themselves and started buying SUVs, this desire has arisen in most consumers, ”comments a market expert.
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According to L. Bogushevich, the choice of each model is always determined by the needs of the family – if only a higher seating position is important to buyers, then a B-segment crossover, such as the Mazda CX-30 or Peugeot 2008, is quite enough. Of course, there are often buyers whose needs are unique, but these people often also know very well what they want.
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“Every family has different needs, so the requirements for the size of the car, the capacity of the cabin, the number of seats and the capacity of the trunk are different. However, in most cases, the top of the priority list indicates that it must be an SUV, ”says the expert.
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Safety equipment is especially important when choosing a new vehicle. According to L. Boguševičs, most consumers are very pragmatic in this respect, because they believe that if they and passengers sit higher during a traffic accident, the possible injuries will be less dangerous.
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This image of an urban SUV is not only determined by the subjective views of consumers. In 2019, SUV models already dominated tests conducted by the US Institute of Highway Safety Insurance (IIHS).
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Test results show that driving a vehicle with a higher ground clearance has a 50 percent lower risk of injury in a serious car accident than driving a hatchback or classic sedan.
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Tends not to overpay for sportiness
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Although there is a lot of talk about the driving characteristics of the city SUV, it is really important only for a relatively small number of buyers, notes L. Bogoguevic. According to a market expert, most consumers are not even particularly interested in dynamic characteristics. For the most part, value for money is much more important.
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“The demand for sporty SUVs has never been very high, and this is well illustrated by the sales of cars such as the Cupra Formentor and Alfa Romeo Stelvio. I think that the total sales of such cars do not account for more than half a percent of our entire market, ”says the expert.
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L. Boguševičs points out that the limited popularity of sports SUV models is also determined by the significantly higher price of such cars. For example, the more powerful version of the Volkswagen Tiguan R costs more than € 55,000, while the more modest Mazda CX-5 with all-wheel drive starts at € 31,500.
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At the same time, the suspension of this model makes it possible to forget the ancient belief that an SUV is less manageable than a hatchback or sedan. This can be felt in the driver’s seat of the CX-5, which has nothing to do with old SUVs – good visibility in all directions, a small steering wheel and good ergonomics to help focus on the road.
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The stability of SUV models in curves is additionally ensured by the introduction of new technologies. For example, Japanese engineers have combined the operation of the power steering, engine management and braking system in the G Vectoring Plus system. It slightly reduces engine power by turning the steering wheel, thus easily increasing the load on the front wheels and improving handling.
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The new version of the G Vectoring Plus has a special feature that slightly brakes the front wheel in the opposite direction to the direction of rotation at the turnout to reduce weight transfer to the rear. For example, if the steering wheel is turned to the left, the G Vectoring Plus brakes the right-hand front wheel very slightly at the cornering exit, which improves the car’s stability. Maximum traction through inertia is the principle of sporty driving, the benefits of which can be felt while sitting behind the wheel of any Japanese manufacturer’s model.
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L. Boguševičs adds that with significantly improved technologies, urban off-road cars are no longer characterized by the slightest turn in the road. While the body of an SUV can certainly tilt, in most models the speed should then be really high.
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