It is clearly visible in the street scene, also here in the Netherlands, that more and more crossovers and SUVs are being sold. BMW has also seen that trend change in recent years, but does not yet want to know about an almost exclusively SUV range of models.
You like it or not, but it is clear that in the past two decades we have started driving a lot more ‘high’ cars. Almost all brands today have multiple crossovers / SUVs in the showroom and even the ever-popular hatchback is increasingly threatened by long-legged alternatives. For example, with Alfa Romeo they even pull the plug completely, because the Giulietta does not get a hatchback but a crossover as a successor. Not to mention the ever-shrinking market share of traditional sedans.
BMW is no exception to the trend. At the beginning of this century, that brand only had the X3 and X5 on offer, but nowadays there are seven models that are known as SUVs or crossovers. That is already almost half of the total model range. According to chief designer Domagoj Dukec, this is in line with the wishes of the modern market: “We used to sell only”three-box cars“(sedans, ed.), but now SUVs account for 60 percent of our sales,” he illustrates the trend against the US Coach.
The traditional sedans are increasingly out of favor, but BMW does not just put an end to it. According to Domagoj, slightly different forms of the ‘low’ cars, such as Gran Coupes, for example, ensure that an important share of non-SUVs is still sold. He says he certainly sees a great future for that kind of car. “The ratio remains 40-60 or 50-50, so sedans remain relevant.”