Rise of the Planet of the SUVs: A Brief Review of Modern Automotive History

Whether we are discussing trucks, SUVs, CUVs, or
crossovers, high-riding hatchbacks have become very popular in the
automotive landscape. This has elicited the wrath of enthusiasts. While
SUV-exclusive brands like Jeep and Land Rover traditionally enjoyed some
measure of enthusiast support, the rush of all automakers to bolster
SUV lineups has tested petrolheads.

The
skepticism and outright hatred of gearheads toward this phenomenon has
done nothing to curb the tastes of average car-shoppers. Since 1990,
when sales of the Ford Explorer exploded (as did a few tires),
middle-class families have thought SUVs were sexier than minivans or
wagons. Because why get a short box if you can get a tall box?

SUVs
were perfect for ‘Murican consumers. They represented freedom,
versatility, and power. They got larger by the year, until Ford
discovered the Excursion party bus was marginally excessive. And who can forget the Hummer H1 and H2—which had the classy distinction of glamorizing militarism in a way not seen since the Rambo Lambo?

But
surprising things happened along the way. The first was that
oh-so-sophisticated German luxury brands entered the CUV fray. After the
Japanese Lexus RX
led the way, the ML, X5, and Cayenne came in quick succession. It could
be argued the brands were simply staying relevant with the times, but
this shift was the clearest signal yet that these companies placed money
above heritage.

Enthusiasts
were—and still are—taken aback by what they considered the transparency
and sheer greed of these makes. Never before in their histories had
Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Porsche so sidestepped their traditions to
pursue higher profits. Producing these SUVs threw down the gauntlet,
ushered in a new era of unprecedented growth, and revolutionized long-established concepts of automotive luxury.

In the years since, something else became clear—SUVs are not an American fascination. They are a global fascination. The People’s Republic of China marched on as the Provisional Republic of Capitalism. Putin’s Russian Federation placed an emphasis on growth instead of…you know, democratic self-determination. The Gulf States escalated extraction exports to meet rising demand. The winners of these economies increasingly embraced utility vehicles.

And just like the Berlin Wall, the European customer’s skepticism of CUVs crumbled. We may have the elegant Escalade, but the employed Euros have Qashqais, Capturs, and the 2008—which happens to be on sale in 2014. Peugeot may want to consider changing the name, because it sounds super outdated.

This latest trend—SUVs in the Old World—is as clear a sign as any that customers just really
like these things. So are the warnings, or estimates, by analysts and
futurists and future analysts that SUVs will comprise 3,000 percent of
all new vehicle sales starting next Tuesday.

This
is all to say that while SUVs may be trendy, they are not a fad. Their
fundamental properties—rugged styling, ground clearance, AWD
availability, and elevated seating positions—have proven desirable to
customers the world over in a way never before seen. Even if fickle
Western shoppers embraced a new sexy segment, there is no indication
that drivers on Chinese, Russian, or Indian poor roads would follow
suit. Wherever they are sold, whether they are Ladas or Landies, SUVs
will continue to be built in the millions for decades to come. And that
is something all enthusiasts must contend with.  By Nico Grant