[Aditya]

Over the years, we have seen that people have started preferring SUVs or crossovers to other body styles such as sedans and hatchbacks. Here are some of the reasons.

Size:

SUVs and crossovers are large. In a country like India, where the might is right, size does matter. More road users are likely to give you way if you drive a large SUV than any other type of car. Smaller cars are often bullied by other road users, but you hardly see anyone messing with something like a Toyota Fortuner or MG Gloster.

Macho styling and imposing road presence:

SUVs with big bodies and large wheels & tyres look macho in comparison with sedans and hatchbacks. They have an imposing presence. Not many would like a car that has no street presence. Hence SUVs and crossovers have gained ground in India.

Ground clearance:

SUVs and crossovers provide better ground clearance than most other vehicles - a boon on the poorly maintained roads of India. This helps them tackle large speed breakers with ease. Also, in many rural areas, where roads are almost non-existent, one is much more comfortable using an SUV compared to a sedan or hatchback.

Water wading capability:

In just about every rainy season, you hear about waterlogging in our cities. This is due to the poor drainage systems we have here. Most SUVs are much better at dealing with such situations than sedans and hatchbacks. This is because they have better water-wading capabilities.

Driving position:

SUVs and crossovers are higher than other types of cars. Their seating is also higher than other cars. Therefore, they offer a much more commanding driving position. This gives the drivers a better view of the road which is very important in India. One can easily spot bumps, potholes and irregularities on the road while driving and take action accordingly. This is not so easy in a low-slung sedan or hatchback.

Ingress & egress:

Getting in and out of SUVs and crossovers in particular is a much easier affair than in a sedan or hatchback. Due to the higher roof, you do not need to bend down as you would do in a sedan or hatchback. The seats are also at a more natural height. You simply walk into the cabin and slide into the seat.

Cabin space:

SUVs and crossovers provide more interior space than sedans or hatchbacks. There's more than enough legroom and headroom for most people due to the additional height of the vehicle.

Luggage space:

Most SUVs and crossovers also provide high luggage carrying capacity. Going by personal experience, I can safely state that we Indians just can't travel light. An SUV would be much more apt to carry all the luggage of a family.

People carrying capacity:

Most SUVs and crossovers come with more than 5 seats. So you can carry more people than you could in a sedan or hatchback. This makes them better suited for larger families or outings with more people.

Off-roading capability:

Many SUVs and crossovers are equipped with four-wheel drive or all-wheel drive systems. This allows them to drive out of sticky situations such as driving through mud or sand. They can climb up and down the steepest of slopes - things that other types of cars would not even dream of doing.

Better road manners than before:

Earlier SUVs used to be cumbersome to drive compared to sedans and hatchbacks. Things have changed now. SUVs and crossovers are a lot better to drive now. Despite their height, their handling and body control are pretty good. They might not be as good as some sedans, but the gap has narrowed drastically. The adoption of monocoque construction has improved their ride characteristics as well.

Multiple options:

Just about every manufacturer is making SUVs or crossovers now. You can get one in any size you want and according to your budget, preferences and requirements. We can't say the same about sedans and hatchbacks. The options for these are few and some models are outdated with no replacement in sight.



The above advantages are very hard to ignore. Those who have had the taste of an SUV or crossover, are not likely to go back to a sedan or hatchback. They might look at MPVs / MUVs though. This is because vehicles such as the Toyota Innova offer most of the advantages of SUVs. They are also much nicer looking than before and offer a good deal of luxury and status. We have discussed Why MUVs are a better choice than other cars today. Hence, an SUV / crossover owner might move to an MPV / MUV, but not any other style of car.



So, SUV / crossover owners, would you ever buy a sedan or hatchback or a car of any other body style again?

[Omkar]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[ghodlur]

For me it will depend on the need. If my son stakes claim to my SUV, then I will move to a smaller car i.e a hatchback. Sedan will definitely not be on my shopping list for sure. I might even think of a CUV as an alternate for Hatchback.

[Nav-i-gator]

I will most probably buy a sedan next. I had Honda City 5th Gen for around 2 years as my primary drive and I just loved the road manners. No motion sickness on long drives, especially over hilly roads alone is good enough a reason to go for Sedans.

[speedmiester]

While I have voted No. There needs to be an another option "maybe".
The needs may evolve overtime and one might look at a Sedan or a hatchback once the new gen vehicles hit the market.

Personally, it is getting very hard to move away from SUV/Crossovers after getting used to them for the past 8 years. These have given me more confidence in taking the off beaten paths and explore roads which are not feasible in a Sedan.

[Small Bot]

Voted Yes for Hatchback. If there was a choice for a Yes only for Hatchback, I'd have done that.

I know people have strong views on sedans, but I don't find it practical for my use case. I can't stand the low seating, the length, the lack of ground clearance. I'm not crossing 60 kmph on any city roads, so it's either a compact crossover or a hatchback for me any day. I know there are several sedan fanatics here. It's just not the body type for me.

In fact, we're seriously looking at tiny hatchbacks to serve as a second car for my wife's daily use in bumper to bumper traffic. If the Comet had an ICE version, that would be the car for us.

[emperor]

If I ever had to purchase another primary car, currently it's the Kodiaq (since 2017), surely it would be a SUV or a Crossover due to their size and our requirements but our secondary car has always been a Sedan. First it was the Vento and now purchased a week before the Virtus. Yes, SUVs have their advantage but the feel good factor that sedans have is at times what I miss. Personally, any day sedans look better to me and are more comfortable over bad roads if seating 4 people.

[RunGaDa]

I used to drive compact sedan Jetta. The 2001 model was quite compact. Later I changed to Passat. This was unfortunately my last sedan. As I was caught in a flash flood and the car stalled, got totaled.
Since then I changed to Tuscon and later in India to Ecosport.
Voted No.
As long as there is corruption in India on roads building and my phobia of low ground clearance cars - read: sedans does not go away, I won’t buy a sedan.

[ChauhanSaurabh]

If we are talking about XUV, Creta, Safari type SUVs I would definitely prefer a sedan like Virtus/Slavia.

If it's Thar/Jimny I would never want to let them go. May be a fast sedan as second car.

[ruskinash]

Originally Posted by Small Bot

Voted Yes for Hatchback. If there was a choice for a Yes only for Hatchback, I'd have done that.

I know people have strong views on sedans, but I don't find it practical for my use case. I can't stand the low seating, the length, the lack of ground clearance.

The Virtus and Slavia have more ground clearance than the hatchbacks, with the exception of tall boys like the Ignis and the S-Presso. Always look at the numbers. Appearances can be deceiving!

Ground Clearance
Slavia - 179mm
Virtus - 179mm
City - 165mm
i20 - 170mm
Altroz - 165mm
Swift - 163mm
Alto - 160mm

[CentreOfGravity]

Okay, I think I'll sit down, grab a cup of coffee and type out a proper reply.
Disclaimer: While I have my preferences, I respect all body types and am never against any body type. This is just my take on the topic. So, kindly take no offense if you happen to be an SUV owner; you have a great ride!

Originally Posted by Aditya

Size:

SUVs and crossovers are large. In a country like India, where the might is right, size does matter. More road users are likely to give you way if you drive a large SUV than any other type of car. Smaller cars are often bullied by other road users, but you hardly see anyone messing with something like a Toyota Fortuner or MG Gloster.

Macho styling and imposing road presence:

SUVs with big bodies and large wheels & tyres look macho in comparison with sedans and hatchbacks. They have an imposing presence. Not many would like a car that has no street presence. Hence SUVs and crossovers have gained ground in India.

These two are essentially the same point, more or less. I don't disagree, although I can't believe this is a parameter when it comes to car buying these days.

Ground clearance:

SUVs and crossovers provide better ground clearance than most other vehicles - a boon on the poorly maintained roads of India. This helps them tackle large speed breakers with ease. Also, in many rural areas, where roads are almost non-existent, one is much more comfortable using an SUV compared to a sedan or hatchback.

This is a valid point. No argument here, although it isn't hard to live with a sedan. Look at every post where someone test drives a sedan and explicitly mentions about the GC - more often than not, it isn't a major problem.

Water wading capability:

In just about every rainy season, you hear about waterlogging in our cities. This is due to the poor drainage systems we have here. Most SUVs are much better at dealing with such situations than sedans and hatchbacks. This is because they have better water-wading capabilities.

That raises the question: how often will you go water wading in your crossover or SUV? As for water logging, unless it is an area where water logs very frequently, is it a matter of bother?

Driving position:

SUVs and crossovers are higher than other types of cars. Their seating is also higher than other cars. Therefore, they offer a much more commanding driving position. This gives the drivers a better view of the road which is very important in India. One can easily spot bumps, potholes and irregularities on the road while driving and take action accordingly. This is not so easy in a low-slung sedan or hatchback.

The visibility factor is valid, but what is the thing with 'commanding'? Why do we need to be commanding? Why can't we Indians be a little humble

Ingress & egress:

Getting in and out of SUVs and crossovers in particular is a much easier affair than in a sedan or hatchback. Due to the higher roof, you do not need to bend down as you would do in a sedan or hatchback. The seats are also at a more natural height. You simply walk into the cabin and slide into the seat.

Better road manners than before:

Earlier SUVs used to be cumbersome to drive compared to sedans and hatchbacks. Things have changed now. SUVs and crossovers are a lot better to drive now. Despite their height, their handling and body control are pretty good. They might not be as good as some sedans, but the gap has narrowed drastically. The adoption of monocoque construction has improved their ride characteristics as well.

People carrying capacity:

Most SUVs and crossovers come with more than 5 seats. So you can carry more people than you could in a sedan or hatchback. This makes them better suited for larger families or outings with more people.

Agreed.

Cabin space:

SUVs and crossovers provide more interior space than sedans or hatchbacks. There's more than enough legroom and headroom for most people due to the additional height of the vehicle.

I disagree big time. Sedans, being much longer, easily trump SUVs / crossovers in this regard. More often than not, you'll have very good legroom and kneeroom in sedans as compared to their high-riding counterparts. I think this point should be rewritten as "Better headroom" instead of "Cabin space".

Luggage space:

Most SUVs and crossovers also provide high luggage carrying capacity. Going by personal experience, I can safely state that we Indians just can't travel light. An SUV would be much more apt to carry all the luggage of a family.

Honda City = 506 litres
VW Virtus = 521 litres
Hyundai Verna = 528 litres

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Honda Elevate = 458 litres
VW Taigun = 385 litres
Hyundai Creta = 433 litres

Should I give more examples?

Special mentions:
Skoda Octavia = 600 litres
Skoda Superb = 625 litres

Now get an SUV in the same price range to match that!

Off-roading capability:

Many SUVs and crossovers are equipped with four-wheel drive or all-wheel drive systems. This allows them to drive out of sticky situations such as driving through mud or sand. They can climb up and down the steepest of slopes - things that other types of cars would not even dream of doing.

Let's please take crossovers with AWD out of this and I'll have no complaints.

Multiple options:

Just about every manufacturer is making SUVs or crossovers now. You can get one in any size you want and according to your budget, preferences and requirements. We can't say the same about sedans and hatchbacks. The options for these are few and some models are outdated with no replacement in sight.

It's quite easy to blame the manufacturer for not launching more sedans, but if you think about it, aren't we the ones to blame? We lost interest in sedans in due course of time, and OEMs stopped selling them in due course of time. OEMs will only operate where they see margins. More SUVs = fatter margins, which implies lesser sedans.

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In the end, if you look at it closely, you'll realise that there are no groundbreaking advantages of SUVs over sedans, unless you want a proper SUV in the real sense (like the Mahindra Thar; no comparison between this and a sedan). In my opinion, sedans trump SUVs in more parameters than SUVs trump sedans. Here's a post I had written recently:

Originally Posted by CentreOfGravity

Unfortunate, but true. It may be the favourite body style of the majority of BHPians including me (link to related thread), but the general junta don't have the same opinion. No matter how much juice is injected in the sedan segment, it simply won't thrive, even though it will continue to exist.

People don't seem to understand the pros of buying a sedan. Single-handedly, low centre of gravity achieves: better agility (and hence, better active safety), lesser body roll, better aerodynamics resulting in better fuel efficiency + higher top speed, and other benefits like good looks, lower sticker price, lower mass, so on and so forth. The only chink in the armour is low ground clearance (can't you live with it?!!) and the lack of "street cred" (you might as well buy a KSRTC bus if you want actual street presence!)

Just look at a sedan - say, a Volkswagen Virtus. Look at the three boxes. Look at that beautiful low stance. Doesn't the silhouette tug at your heartstrings? Doesn't she call you towards her and tell you to sit down in the car, as opposed to sliding your butt in an "SUV"? Aren't you tempted to chuck that beauty into corners and feel the benefits of the low centre of gravity (that's me!) while doing so? After the exhilarating drive, when you walk away from the car, doesn't she make you turn back and look at her?

A great person once said: Sedans are of enthusiasts, by enthusiasts and for enthusiasts (I wonder who the great person is ). But alas, most people will answer the above questions in the negative. So much for high seating position and street presence. Sigh.

P.S: Please consider this post as a rant. I know it doesn't belong here, but I felt like pouring my heart out with some FI technology (fun injected technology ). I don't mean to demean SUV owners / buyers in any way. Cheers!

Here I'm trying to bring back some love to sedans, and here is a post which defeats my purpose (just kidding). On a serious note, I think it is important to respect all body types, no matter what you drive.

Cheers!

[PrasannaDhana]

I always had SUVs. My previous daily ride was a sedan. I currently drive a hatchback as a primary.

Sedan > SUV if I am driving

SUV, in all other cases.

Sedans are underrated and ignored in our market.

[YD14]

A crossover owner (Creta) here. It does not have the advantages of high ground clearance and other stuff like true SUVs, but still I am never going back to bending down to enter the car and sitting low. Yes, it is far less capable of fun compared to a sedan, but lets be honest, how much of our time is spent pushing the limits of our cars. Despite living in hilly area with wide enough roads, not even 5% of my driving time involves that. On the other hand, the upright sitting position is appreciated 100% of the time. For a city runabout I would prefer a Punch EV over any hatchback.

[gvivek75]

There should have been separate options for hatchback and sedan individually in this poll. While I have voted No due to this confusion, I'm quite open for a hatchback. The sheer amount of practicality they provide on our roads cannot be underestimated.

As aerodynamic and driving pleasure oriented sedans are, I'm done with them at least in the Indian context. I can drool over them every time I see one passing by, but I can't see myself buying one.

[BrakeDancer]

I drove a friends Thar (the 2020 newer gen) for a fair bit of time before making my first purchase. Sedans over the SUV's for sure. Partly because what we mean here when we say SUV is actually quite misleading. They are in fact, pseudo SUV's. In the sub 30 lakh category, none of them except Thar and Jimny have the ground clearance, water wading capabilities, or capability across different terrains that a proper SUV ought to have.

With a sedan, the feel of driving it is unmatched. The limited body roll, the connectedness to the road, the sense of space including the boot space, are all things that make life easy. The ingress and egress can be a bit of an issue for those who are older or with lower back issues. That's a factor to be considered. The ground clearance issue in my opinion is a bit overstated. In my 2.5 years of driving a sedan in a city, with 4 people on board and a full boot on many an occasion, it's never been a source of bother for me. You cannot, of course, throw caution to the wind and take the speed bump.

I think the market has shifted in recent years because people want 'more' car for their money. The appearance of 'being big' seems to trump any real world capability it might have. No, the 'sand and snow modes' don't count.

If I had a choice, I would prefer to have a sedan as my daily driver and a capable four wheel drive SUV as my second car. But I currently don't have the luxury of two parking slots, so this is nothing more than a pipe dream.