| Industry: SUV sales fall in UK - or do they?
Sales of SUVs and 4x4s have fallen in the UK, with just under 105,200 sold from January to July this year compared to nearly 106,750 in the same period last year.
Anti-SUV campaigners and critics have hailed this as proof that superfluously large, fuel-inefficient and high-emissions 'Chelsea tractors' are finally falling out of fashion. Industry analysts note that, with fuel prices rising again and the threat of more punitive taxation for such vehicles, buyers are seeking more economical alternatives.
However, the SMMT (Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders) dismissed the figures as 'insignificant', saying that SUV sales had fallen by only 0.1%, whereas the car market as a whole had dipped by 4.2% - meaning that SUVs actually now account for a higher proportion of new car sales than before.
In the US, SUV sales have fallen by 28% this year, a much more marked downturn driven by rising petrol costs that has forced Ford, General Motors and Chrysler to rethink their model-ranges and future product plans.
The trend has also led America's domestic carmakers to offer ever-increasingly generous incentives and special offers to clear their backlog of existing large 4x4s and pick-up trucks, as well as controversial marketing ploys. GM is currently under criticism for its attract-'em-young campaign in partnership with McDonalds, whereby a model Hummer is handed out with each child's Happy Meal. Each boy's Happy Meal, that is: girls are given a Polly Pocket doll, a move arguably more offensive than targeting pro-SUV advertising at small children. Don't little girls dream of driving large SUVs as well?
Source = 4Car |