Crossover rage hits the street
Crossovers, including the Ford Flex, Chevy Equinox, Nissan Murano, and top-selling Honda CR-V, are now among the fastest-growing segments in the auto industry
By Agencies |
DETROIT: Suburban mom Shana Rampersad is looking for a new family car, and it���s got to be fuel efficient, stylish and roomy. That eliminates sedans, sport utility vehicles and even minivans such as the Nissan Quest that���s been carrying the Rampersads around New Jersey for years. On the top of her list is a crossover, a type of vehicle that���s built like a car but looks like a downsized SUV.
They offer more storage space than a traditional car and use less gas than SUVs, which are built on truck frames. And they���re a good fit for families like the Rampersads, who are tightening their belts but still want enough space to haul around children, pets, luggage and sporting gear.
Crossovers, including the Ford Flex, Chevy Equinox, Nissan Murano, and top-selling Honda CR-V, are now among the fastest-growing segments in the auto industry. Their share of the US market has nearly tripled since 2002 as SUVs��� share slid by more than half.
For many families, downsizing to a sedan from a minivan or SUV would be too drastic; the equivalent to moving back into a small city apartment after owning a large suburban home. The crossover offers a compromise in tough times, when parents are forced to cut back on spending. Earlier this decade, when gas was cheaper and bank accounts flusher, beefy SUVs and minivans emerged as the preferred family vehicle.
In fact, between 1999 and 2006, their combined sales made up the largest segment, peaking at 27.8% market share in 2000. Now, sales of those bigger vehicles are being displaced by crossovers. Crossovers made up 21.7% of all US vehicle sales for the first eight months of the year, according to Ward���s AutoInfoBank, up from 7.4% in 2002.
They offer more storage space than a traditional car and use less gas than SUVs, which are built on truck frames. And they���re a good fit for families like the Rampersads, who are tightening their belts but still want enough space to haul around children, pets, luggage and sporting gear.
Crossovers, including the Ford Flex, Chevy Equinox, Nissan Murano, and top-selling Honda CR-V, are now among the fastest-growing segments in the auto industry. Their share of the US market has nearly tripled since 2002 as SUVs��� share slid by more than half.
For many families, downsizing to a sedan from a minivan or SUV would be too drastic; the equivalent to moving back into a small city apartment after owning a large suburban home. The crossover offers a compromise in tough times, when parents are forced to cut back on spending. Earlier this decade, when gas was cheaper and bank accounts flusher, beefy SUVs and minivans emerged as the preferred family vehicle.
In fact, between 1999 and 2006, their combined sales made up the largest segment, peaking at 27.8% market share in 2000. Now, sales of those bigger vehicles are being displaced by crossovers. Crossovers made up 21.7% of all US vehicle sales for the first eight months of the year, according to Ward���s AutoInfoBank, up from 7.4% in 2002.
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