SUVs conquer British roads—but at what cost to safety and nostalgia?

SUVs now dominate British roads, with eight of the top 10 new cars sold in 2022 falling into this category. Their rise has been rapid, climbing from under 2% market share in 2000 to over 45% by 2025. Yet this shift has sparked debates about safety, practicality, and even nostalgia for older car styles. The growth of SUVs in the UK has been striking. Models like the Ford Kuga, Nissan Qashqai, and Volkswagen Tiguan have driven this trend, reshaping the market. By 2022, the Ford Puma—a 'high-riding compact crossover'—became the country's bestselling car.

A 2021 study from the University of Illinois Springfield highlighted a serious concern: SUVs are eight times more likely to kill pedestrian children in collisions than standard passenger cars. Despite this, their popularity continues to grow. Meanwhile, some carmakers have faced backlash for moving away from traditional models. In 2023, Volvo announced it would stop selling estate cars in the UK, only to reverse the decision after public outcry. Volvo estates, like the 240 in the 1980s, were once symbols of practicality, comfortably carrying families and pets. In pop culture, they even became icons of suburban life, sometimes portrayed as under threat from darker forces. The debate over car design isn't new. The 1990 comedy *Crazy People* starred Dudley Moore as a burnt-out ad executive who pitched radical honesty in marketing. One of his fictional slogans—'Buy Volvos: They're Boxy but They're Good'—still resonates today, reflecting a time when functionality often outweighed flashy design.

The UK's car market has changed dramatically, with SUVs now leading sales. Their rise has brought both convenience and safety concerns, while older models like Volvo estates still hold cultural and practical value. For now, the shift toward larger vehicles shows no signs of slowing down.