Era of SUVs could be ending | Opinion

Australians have been obsessed with SUVs for over a decade, but there are signs the infatuation is coming to an end and you can put it down to electric cars.

Something happened in 2017 that we’d never seen before — SUVs outsold passenger cars (sedans, wagons and hatches) for the first time in Australia in the annual sales results. It was by the tiniest amount — 15,634 cars. In 2024's annual numbers the gap between SUVs and regular cars had grown to 492,182, which is 75.6 percent of total vehicle sales

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The Tesla Model S was the first electric car to grab Australians’ attention and its Aston Martin prestige supercar looks convinced us EVs could be sexy. The Model S was popular in Australia and they quietly glided through the country’s streets in 2017 like exotic unattainable beasts. 

And for many the Model S was unattainable with the top-of-the-range grade costing more than $250K. The Tesla Model 3 sedan launched here in 2019 and was far more attainable at around $50K.

The Tesla Model 3 sold in enormous numbers. In 2023 its annual sales in Australia reached 17,347 and it became the sixth most popular car for the year, outselling even Toyota’s Camry.

In the years since the number of electric cars launching in Australia has increased exponentially and so have the sales. The body style has been more often than not sedan or hatch rather than an SUV, with the likes of the Polestar 2 and its 4 and 5 siblings, the BYD Seal and Dolphin, the Hyundai Ioniq 6, Audi e-tron and the just arrived MG IM5.

Sedans and hatches are making a big comeback. These low-slung electric machines are hugely popular in markets like China and thanks to Australia’s EV appetite they’re launching here and people are buying them. And now people are starting to equate the notion of an EV with a sedan.

But I don’t think that’s the end point. The freedom a lack of combustion engine and driveshaft gives vehicle designers will see new body styles maximising cabin space and practicality. Most likely a combination of SUV and sedan. Yep, a crossover for a new era.

We've seen this start with the Tesla Model Y and now its rivals are appearing with similar styling. As I like to call them... 'featureless blobs'.

But maybe that’s where all this is heading. Like phones, our private transport will be a shiny white or black blob in different sizes. But don’t worry, they’ll bring out new versions each year in different colours. Wait until you see the latest orange one!