1 out of every 4 cars sold in Belgium is an SUV
During the first six months of 2016, the Belgian car buyer has shown a strong preference for high-riding cross-overs. 25.4 percent of all new cars sold belong to the SUV category – which in 2010 only represented 11.5 per cent.
As in many cases, these Belgian numbers are very close to the European average. In 2015, 23 per cent of all new vehicles purchased in Western Europe were of the cross-over kind, representing 3 million units. The success can be explained by the fact that SUVs have evolved away from being large, expensive fuel burners to refined, practical and socially acceptable alternatives to estates and MPVs.
In the meantime, the offer has expanded considerably, too, ranging from small city cars on a raised suspension (e.g. Opel Adam Rocks, Hyundai i20 Active) to plug-in hybrid premium 7-seaters (like the BMW X5 40e or Volvo XC90 T8 Twin Engine).
Lightweight construction, better aerodynamics and more fuel efficient powertrains, mostly linked to 2-wheel drive instead of a 4x4 transmission, mean that today’s SUVs hardly consume more than their estate counterpart. They are no longer banned from the car policy.
A newcomer in the B-SUV segment that ticks all the boxes as a 21st Century fleet car is the hybrid Toyota C-HR (see picture), which you can discover in detail in our exclusive Virtual Fleet Launch on September 28 at 11:00 AM CET. Don’t miss out!
Picture copyright: Toyota, 2016
