It seems high fuel prices are succeeding where eco campaigners have failed and people are turning their backs on thirsty SUVs. With petrol today at an average of 116.7p per litre and diesel at 130.1p per litre it's not hard to see why drivers of thirsty vehicles are being hit where it hurts.
According to SMMT (Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders) figures 4x4 sales are down by 18.3% compared with this time last year, Land Rover alone recording a drop in sales of a third compared with May 2007. Against this backdrop a 120% rise in sales in the mini segment comes as no surprise.
It's not just high fuel prices hitting the sales of extravagant cars though. Falling house prices, an ever increasing cost of living and general economic gloom mean people are looking to save money any way they can. Against this backdrop the overall drop in sales of 3.5% over last May doesn't actually look too bad.
In this climate the spotlight inevitably falls on firms like Land Rover, whose exclusively 4x4-led product line up is sometimes viewed as a barometer for SUV sales as a whole. "No doubt, the US and UK will be extremely tough this year," a spokesperson told us, "but they will remain number one and number two markets."
The high diesel price is an extra burden for SUV drivers, many of whom chose diesel engines in an effort to keep running costs within reasonable bounds. But even with the difference between petrol and diesel increasing from 9.3p per litre to 11.6p per litre the SMMT says diesel's overall market share is still climbing.
Anecdotal evidence from the trade suggests the drop-off in SUV sales is more dramatic than the figures suggest too. But does this mark the end of the 4x4 era? We'll see about that but drivers are clearly thinking more carefully about running costs than ever before.
A 4x4 is an essential vehicle if you are a farmer or live the wilds of Scotland, Wales or the Lake District and North Yorkshire, but do you really need 4x4 if you live in Chelsea or other urban areas, no of course not, it a status symbol some are now probably struggling with the increases in fuel prices, road tax and the general increase in the cost of living. Well to those who are struggling I have just one word for you ‘TOUGH’ serves you right, buy a sensible car you morons!
loiswakeman
I was about to send off a stiff reply till I read your last paragraph!
Spare a thought for the farmers and agricultural workers, please ... but not the yummy mummies in their kiddie tanks.
On a related issue, Land Rovers (at least the older chassis-based models) are more eco-friendly than they might seem at first glance. About 1/3rd of the carbon footprint of a car is in its manufacture - so cars that last 20-30 years and can be repaired are better than the modern all-electronic versions that are designed to last just longer than the warranty.
Did you know that most current models have a design life of just 7 years?
We've a 14-YO Landy and a 19-YO Escort both of which still have a few years to go before we scrap them and give up on all that embodied CO2. Doing a relatively low mileage - that makes better eco sense than buying a new model that does a fraction more km/l - surely?