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Revhead Ramblings: It’s Time to Accept SUVs

Despite our hatred for SUVs, they’re here to stay. In 2017, there were 27.85 million new ones sold, giving them a total market share of about 34%.

So, beyond petrol heads, it seems the general population love these oversized, lifted hatchbacks with a need for speed. In some ways they make sense, easier to load, a better view of the road; so why do we hate SUVs so passionately?

Porsche Cayenne

One of the best examples of default hatred for an SUV is the Porsche Cayenne, the flagship SUV from Porsche was large, practical and ugly; everything Porsche wasn’t meant to be. It challenged everyone’s preconceptions of what a Porsche could be.

The thing that mystifies me is, how can the principle of a Porsche SUV be so offensive when it offers the opportunity to develop huge revenue for the company; revenue that undoubtedly paved the way for the exceptional Boxster, Cayman and 911 models we have today. The age of car makers surviving on sports cars alone is long gone, they must diversify or be the victim of their own naivety.

The issue with Range Rover

A company that seems to avoid the flack is Land Rover, their Range Rover models are adored by footballers and car journalists alike; a very rare occurrence. Their secret? They aren’t meant to be performance cars. Despite their powerful engines and sporty driving modes, pushing a Range Rover doesn’t feel right. They’re meant for long cruises, not harsh back road thrashings.

If you want a car that goes from 0-60 in a millionth of a second and has a top speed in the thousands, you’d buy something exotic and Italian. Land Rover, for some reason, have offered these capabilities in their Range Rover Sport SVR however, a car with the aerodynamics of a house and the fuel consumption of a burning oil rig.

If you want something comfy, spacious and rapid, you could have a Jaguar that has virtually the same engine, a much better ride and ultimately costs less.

Authenticity is key

The issue lies when a car tries to be something it isn’t, a Range Rover is a luxury car for eating up miles. It isn’t a car to be hustled on a track or twisting back roads. Therefore, we have to respect the Porsche Cayenne and Lamborghini Urus.

They’re SUVs but they’ve been designed by engineers who design sports cars for fun. They’re focused on speed and handling, rather than being a practical car forced into a sporty vehicle.

When SUVs are made purely to latch on to a new market for profit, they’re often some of the worst cars on sale. Hard riding and lacking the practicality people bought them for in the first place.

However, to despise an SUV purely for your love of sports cars is misguided; at the end of the day, these cash cows are funding your beloved two-seaters! In their own right, SUVs are becoming exciting, high performance cars, they’re still evolving at a stupendous rate and I’m interested to see where they go next.

To ensure you don’t miss out on any of Alex’s ‘Revhead Ramblings‘ be sure to follow him on Twitter at @AlexClickDealer!

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