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, at present on account of attain the US in early 2026. It was notable for just a few 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 stable

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

Why sedans ought to disappear

A pattern already in progress

Honda

After I was rising up in Canada (and visiting the US) through the ’80s and ’90s, sedans had been in all places. Looking back, they had been the “default” automotive for North America — you solely purchased one thing else to accommodate area of interest calls for. In case you needed ample cargo area, to procure a van, a truck, or a station wagon; when you needed to save cash, to procure a compact hatchback. Even numerous highschool children ended up getting used sedans as starter automobiles.

You’ll be able to nonetheless purchase new sedans, however in North America they have been eclipsed in recognition by SUVs, vehicles, and crossovers. Whereas it is troublesome to trace down up-to-the-minute knowledge, 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 automotive manufacturers have added SUVs to their lineups. I see Porsche Cayennes on the street on a regular basis — regardless of that purchasing an SUV for efficiency is akin to purchasing a Bowie knife to cut up dinner greens.

A sedan is smart when you’re a home-owner who’s principally touring forwards and backwards to work, sometimes shuttling children round, taking holidays, or having an evening out. However when you’re frequently transferring from house to house — like many millennials and Gen Zers — a sedan cannot match that many packing containers, not to mention massive items of furnishings. And even as soon as you’ve got settled right into a home, there is a good likelihood you will be occurring weekend runs to shops like Residence Depot, Greatest Purchase, or IKEA. Few issues are extra irritating than carting a TV or stack of lumber out to your automotive solely to understand it will not match.

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

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The street forward

Adapting kind components for the 2020s

Chevrolet

When my spouse and I purchased a brand new automotive in 2022, we selected the Hyundai Venue, which is a compact crossover SUV. It is the perfect 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, however it’s often 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 might like to see 300-mile ranges on compact hatchbacks, too, however the tech most likely 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 menace in the event that they hit one thing. The identical will also be mentioned of many vehicles, which frequently do not even carry cargo. In locations like Alberta and Texas, it looks like 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, at the least till robotaxis and different absolutely self-driving vehicles are an omnipresent actuality. They do serve a goal. However each the optimistic and destructive developments in place appear to be urgent arduous, and I might moderately issues skew within the path of practicality than fake we’re all well-off professionals who get every thing huge and heavy delivered by white-glove companies.

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The affordability situation

One ultimate thought

Honda

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

I am comparatively optimistic on that entrance, just because expertise retains evolving, and buyer demand is sure to maintain issues in examine. There’ll at all times be somebody recent out of faculty who wants an affordable experience — the business cannot fake that everybody is able to shell out $40,000 or extra for his or her preferrred do-it-all-mobile.

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