By Classic Yorkshire contributor Tony Lofthouse
Have you noticed how cars are getting bigger, taller and wider these days?
They call it ‘car spreading’ and it’s a growing problem!
More and more drivers are snapping up SUVs – these now account for 62% of new car sales. But, conventional cars are expanding in size too.
As the driver of a 20-year-old Rover saloon it can be frustrating finding room in busy car parks as space is not designed for today’s bigger models.
According to recent data, the average width of new cars in the UK, over the last seven years, is up from 182cm to 187.5cm.
Campaigners, Clean Cities, say more than half of new cars are too wide for urban parking spaces and cars are getting 1cm wider every two years.
Everyday cars are also getting longer and heavier.
Take for example the VW Golf. The latest models are 18cm wider and 26cm longer than the original Mk1 Golf from the seventies. It’s also several hundred kilograms heavier.
From an environmental perspective the move to SUVs, Crossovers and heavier vehicles brings a rise in emissions (for petrol/diesel versions) and with front bonnet heights rising (at least half of cars sold in 2024 measured at least 85cm) there are safety concerns too for other road users.
Authorities and governments are responding and some are charging more for heavy vehicles to park on-street or increasing the cost of parking permits.
SUVs and crossovers may be the desirable option for many buyers – particularly growing families – and carmakers are happy to deliver but trends come and go.
According to a senior Peugeot executive: “young people like hatchbacks because they see SUVs as the car of their parents.”
At the end of the day, buyers tastes shift and manufacturers will move with the trends – big or small – in search of profits.
For more about car spreading click https://cleancitiescampaign.org/carspreading/