As the world grows increasingly fond of SUVs and crossovers, automakers seem happy to invest more and more in the trend. But if history has taught us anything, it’s that nothing lasts forever.
The history of automotive body styles has been a history of perennial change, with SUVs, minivans, wagons, and sedans all trading moments basking in the warmth of the market trends sun. Few body styles have taken over in the same way as SUVs, though. These supposedly rugged vehicles have controlled a considerable portion of annual sales for some time and are encouraging automakers away from sedans.
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But what was once cool is doomed to someday be uncool and just as surely as the sun, a new hotness will rise. Ford and Hyundai are making a bet that not only do Americans want big, medium, and luxury pickups, but compact ones, too. Will pickup trucks of varying sizes someday be as ubiquitous as crossovers are today?
Or will the new electric trend towards vehicles that aren’t quite cars and aren’t quite crossovers, like the Polestar 2 and the Hyundai Ioniq 5, take over? The body style does seem to offer good looks while providing most of the cargo space of a crossover thanks to the smaller drivetrain equipment.
Or will SUVs and crossovers rule until the boxes on wheels that offer maximum interior volume for autonomous vehicles take over?
What do you think? What’s the next big thing in automotive body styles?
