Australia’s love affair with big cars that can give them the best of both worlds of tackling the city landscape and the rugged landscape continues to grow. This can be seen in the rise of the SUV market in most urban homes. Although it has experienced a slump in recent months, off-roaders still share a large chunk of the car sale market.
Enticing features steal the cake
Car manufacturers have evolved in the way they choose to make cars, with many ding cross-overs, to provide vehicles that tick off more than one box. Off-road cars such as SUV’s tick off more than one box by providing ample features such as; boot space, head, and leg space, handling ability, and safety technology. These have proven to be winning features, especially for urban families that want a car that blends to their needs
4WD’s have also proven to be a popular choice among people who do not have families due to its ability to handle a day-to-day drive in the city to be able to handle weekends away at the beach or outdoors.
According to VFACTS, SUV’s have now become a dominant vehicle type that has taken up to 43.6% of the market share. The diverse range of models offered by SUV’s such as utes, vans and small busses which have a 19.4% share in the SUV market have also proven their popularity. The average cost of owning one of these bad boys can range from $40,000 to a neat $100,000 or more. It will also depend on whether you are planning to purchase the vehicle new or used.
Handling abilities are what makes the car
Another feature that features prominently on 4WD’s such as SUV’s is its handling abilities. Having a car that has a 4WD feature basically means that the car system has the ability to send power to all four wheels equally, which means that the wheels of the car will spin at the same rate which allows for greater handling ability. Therefore, it has become a popular vehicle when it comes to handling rugged terrain.
Although such vehicles are able to maneuver tough situations and low-traction situations, it can have its drawbacks when it comes to everyday driveability such as being able to make tight turns on the road. Another drawback is the fuel economy of SUV’s which tend to guzzle a lot at the pump, but this is not stopping Aussies from purchasing the vehicle with new sales for SUV vehicles at a steady growth.
Aussies like the finer things in life
With 2.28 million Australians planning on purchasing a new vehicle in the next 4 years the number one vehicle in which they desire to purchase are 4-door SUV’s. According to research by Roy Morgan, 623,000 Australians are planning on purchasing an SUV/4WD, five-seater. The number one reason for such interest is due to the style of the vehicle.
The research found that four-door and five-door hatchbacks are also making it onto many Australians favourite lists despite falling in popularity when compared to the previous years. It is evident that many Aussies are not budging when it comes to their love affair with off-roaders due to its size and impeccable features.