America Is Finally Buying Sedans And Hatchbacks Over Borings SUVs

在大众汽车,决定放弃轿车是backfiring. According to the senior VP of sales at Volkswagen of America, Hein Schafer, "The dealers are really desperately crying out to getJetta[back] on the showroom floor, despite the fact that we've got a Taos that covers that $25,000 price point," adding, "We still have people coming out of sedans and wanting sedans again. And at some of our stores, where there have been no Jettas available, that customer hasn't bought [a crossover] but has gone off and bought another sedan from another brand."

Genesis noted the disinterest in sedans and coupes from rival automakers as one of the big reasons it willnever abandon those cars. For Genesis customers, price is not as much of a driving factor, so why is the brand sticking with sedans?

Industry experts believe that some people will always simply prefer a sedan over a crossover or SUV. There is also a growing portion of younger people who, like their ancestors before them, don't want to drive the same sort of vehicle that their parents did. Naturally, geography also plays a role. For example, Californians buy a larger percentage of cars versus light trucks than buyers in other parts of the country.

Toyota Motor North America's senior VP of product for battery electric vehicles, Cooper Ericksen, says, "The same reasons why sedans have been successful for 50 years is why they're successful with BEVs: because they're more aerodynamic, they have better fuel economy, they have better range, they're less expensive to manufacture, they're easier to park and get around."

J.D. Power's Dominy believes that every automaker will eventually have a sedan in its lineup, but we won't get back to OEMs offering several versions of similar body styles.

We've long extolled thebenefits of sedans over SUVs. Now it's up to automakers to offer more of them once again.