It is no longer surprising to say SUVs dominate salesand now manufacturers’ catalogs. Sedan, coupe, convertible, MPV : most of the traditional and historical categories in our country have disappeared. They were replaced by their SUV equivalent. Minivans in 2022 Scénic and C4 SpaceTourer are gone from the catalog. Among sedans, Mondeo, Passat, IONIQ or even Talisman have left their niche. All will be indirectly replaced by SUVs. Faced with this unstoppable wave, several actors struggle to cope. Of course, enthusiasts who have nostalgia for light models, thin lines, low silhouettes. But the problem is more for the owners, the Government and local authorities…
Paris wants to increase the tax on SUVs
From 1Er Already in January 2022, the state introduced a tax on the weight of new vehicles in France. If the weight of the empty vehicle exceeds 1.8 tons, the buyer must pay a tax of the amount 10 euros for an additional kilogram. That’s why €1000 more for a car weighing 1.9 tons, or even €2,000 extra for a model weighing more than 2 tonnes (including the Range Rover, Mercedes G-Class and Porsche Cayenne in the viewfinder). Problem, some electric or hybrid vehicles are very heavy. Not for nothing: the large weight of their battery! In the 1970s, for example, a mid-range sedan, Ford Taunus weighed only 960 kilograms ! For comparison, the current Renault Zoé weighs 1,502 kg, Volkswagen ID.3 1.812 kg, and Audi Q8 e-tron up to 2585 kg! A clean break…
Electrified models soon concerned?
The problem is that it might not work… The government may indeed tighten the environmental penalty rules from 2024 regarding the weight of new cars. Reducing it from 1.8 tons to… 1.6 tons! Thus, there will be many models overtaxed because of their crippling weight, and especially large models such as SUVs. Hybrid and electric cars, although not touched at first, may have to follow these new rules from 2025… Will this spell the premature end of SUVs? Their large silhouette and heavy weight seem incompatible with the current ecological context, which is aimed at minimize the car’s environmental footprint. Therefore, manufacturers – and this is not so bad – will have to return to small models, sedans, coupes and convertibles, who knows?
Read also:
Mercedes EQE: here are the prices for the new SUV
Renault Scénic: we finished the minivan, let’s make room for the crossover
Volkswagen Tiguan III: everything we already know!
Source: Auto Plus
Robert is an experienced journalist who has been covering the automobile industry for over a decade. He has a deep understanding of the latest technologies and trends in the industry and is known for his thorough and in-depth reporting.