I am eagerly awaiting the demise of the sedan

One of many highlights of the 2025 New York Worldwide Auto Present was the Kia EV4, presently attributable to attain the US in early 2026. It was notable for a number of causes: uncommon styling, twin 12.3-inch touchscreens, and as much as 330 miles (531 kilometers) of vary when you pay for the Wind trim. It even has a brand new voice assistant capable of refine its responses and command recognition, so hopefully, it will not unintentionally set off itself if you’re jamming out to

Spotify
. Thoughts you, Apple says the identical factor about

Siri
.

It ought to — by all rights — be a strong

electric car
for the individuals who need one, nevertheless it additionally made me notice one thing — I’ve completely zero curiosity in sedans anymore, irrespective of how well-built or futuristic they’re. Certainly, the format appears to be on its method out, and for as soon as I am truly supportive of the best way the world goes, so long as reasonably priced choices stick round too.

Why sedans ought to disappear

A development already in progress

Honda

Once I was rising up in Canada (and visiting the US) in the course of the ’80s and ’90s, sedans have been in every single place. On reflection, they have been the “default” automobile for North America — you solely purchased one thing else to accommodate area of interest calls for. In the event you wished ample cargo area, you obtain a van, a truck, or a station wagon; when you wished to economize, you obtain a compact hatchback. Even plenty of highschool youngsters ended up getting used sedans as starter automobiles.

You possibly can nonetheless purchase new sedans, however in North America they have been eclipsed in reputation by SUVs, vans, and crossovers. Whereas it is troublesome to trace down up-to-the-minute information, in 2019, SUVs accounted for 47.7% of US gross sales (per a New York Times report) versus simply 22.1% for sedans. Even some sports activities automobile manufacturers have added SUVs to their lineups. I see Porsche Cayennes on the highway on a regular basis — irrespective of that purchasing an SUV for efficiency is akin to purchasing a Bowie knife to cut up dinner greens.

A sedan is sensible when you’re a house owner who’s largely touring forwards and backwards to work, often shuttling youngsters round, taking holidays, or having an evening out. However when you’re frequently shifting from condominium to condominium — like many millennials and Gen Zers — a sedan cannot match that many bins, not to mention giant items of furnishings. And even as soon as you’ve got settled right into a home, there is a good likelihood you may be occurring weekend runs to shops like House Depot, Greatest Purchase, or IKEA. Few issues are extra irritating than carting a TV or stack of lumber out to your automobile solely to comprehend it will not match.

Kids exacerbate the state of affairs. My spouse and I solely have one youngster, however like many individuals as of late, we do not have handy kin or babysitters close by. Our son and his booster seat have to come back together with us on many errands, shrinking the quantity of cargo area even additional. In that sense, I actually cannot blame mother and father for getting full-sized SUVs, even when most of them do not want a Nissan Armada or Chevy Tahoe to take their youngsters to judo classes.

Associated

The Nissan Leaf is dead, long live the new Leaf

I’ll miss the Leaf’s earlier spirit, nevertheless it’s in all probability for one of the best.

The highway forward

Adapting kind components for the 2020s

Chevrolet

When my spouse and I purchased a brand new automobile in 2022, we selected the Hyundai Venue, which is a compact crossover SUV. It is the best format for us — extra cargo area than a sedan, however nonetheless sufficiently small to be reasonably priced and slot in a single-car storage. We nonetheless run into area issues typically, nevertheless it’s normally nothing some artistic seat manipulation cannot repair. I am unable to think about making an attempt to do the identical issues with my previous Buick Regal.

In that regard, I really feel that crossovers and different small SUVs are rightfully taking up, particularly since they permit sufficient area for bigger batteries on EV fashions. The Chevy Equinox EV (above) is spectacular to me as one thing underneath $34,000 with a 319-mile (513-kilometer) vary. I would like to see 300-mile ranges on compact hatchbacks, too, however the tech in all probability will not be there till solid-state batteries arrive round 2030.

There are some elements of this trajectory I do not like. Many SUVs are nonetheless unnecessarily large, blocking lanes and sightlines in visitors, and naturally posing a extra critical risk in the event that they hit one thing. The identical can be stated of many vans, which regularly do not even carry cargo. In locations like Alberta and Texas, it looks as if lots of people get one simply to slot in with the native cowboy tradition, and/or to really feel powerful on the streets.

Will sedans disappear utterly? I doubt it, no less than till robotaxis and different absolutely self-driving vehicles are an omnipresent actuality. They do serve a goal. However each the constructive and adverse traits in place appear to be urgent onerous, and I would fairly issues skew within the course of practicality than faux we’re all well-off professionals who get every little thing massive and heavy delivered by white-glove companies.

Associated

Why solid-state batteries will revolutionize EVs – and why we’re still waiting

They’re on the horizon, however there’s nonetheless far to go.

The affordability subject

One ultimate thought

Honda

I do have one different concern, and that is pricing traits. Even compact crossovers are typically costlier than sedans, so there’s the danger that our procuring habits will inadvertently push some individuals out of the auto market, significantly if corporations cannot determine a solution to construct a worthwhile EV equal of sub-compacts just like the Honda Match. The trade goes to go all-electric, eventually.

I am comparatively optimistic on that entrance, just because know-how retains evolving, and buyer demand is sure to maintain issues in verify. There’ll all the time be somebody contemporary out of faculty who wants an inexpensive trip — the trade cannot faux that everybody is able to shell out $40,000 or extra for his or her ideally suited do-it-all-mobile.

Associated

The problem with self-driving cars isn’t safety

Merely getting the place you need to go appears to be a much bigger subject.