I am eagerly awaiting the dying of the s...

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 in the event 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 by chance 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 strong

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

Why sedans ought to disappear

A development already in progress

Honda

After I was rising up in Canada (and visiting the US) throughout 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. When you needed ample cargo house, you purchased a van, a truck, or a station wagon; in the event you needed to save cash, you purchased a compact hatchback. Even lots of highschool children ended up getting used sedans as starter automobiles.

You may 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 information, 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 highway on a regular basis — irrespective of that purchasing an SUV for efficiency is akin to purchasing a Bowie knife to cut up dinner greens.

A sedan is smart in the event you’re a home-owner who’s largely touring forwards and backwards to work, often shuttling children round, taking holidays, or having an evening out. However in the event you’re recurrently transferring from residence to residence — like many millennials and Gen Zers — a sedan cannot match that many bins, not to mention giant items of furnishings. And even as soon as you’ve got settled right into a home, there is a good probability you may be happening weekend runs to shops like Residence Depot, Finest 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.

Youngsters exacerbate the scenario. My spouse and I solely have one youngster, however like many individuals lately, we do not have handy relations or babysitters close by. Our son and his booster seat have to come back together with us on many errands, shrinking the quantity of cargo house even additional. In that sense, I actually cannot blame mother and father 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 highway forward

Adapting type 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 house than a sedan, however nonetheless sufficiently small to be inexpensive and slot in a single-car storage. We nonetheless run into house issues typically, but it surely’s normally nothing some inventive seat manipulation cannot repair. I can not think about attempting 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 on, particularly since they permit sufficient house for bigger batteries on EV fashions. The Chevy Equinox EV (above) is spectacular to me as one thing beneath $34,000 with a 319-mile (513-kilometer) vary. I would like to see 300-mile ranges on compact hatchbacks, too, however the tech in all probability will not be there till solid-state batteries arrive round 2030.

There are some points of this trajectory I do not like. Many SUVs are nonetheless unnecessarily big, blocking lanes and sightlines in visitors, and naturally posing a extra critical menace in the event that they hit one thing. The identical may also be mentioned of many vehicles, which frequently do not even carry cargo. In locations like Alberta and Texas, it looks as if 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, no less than till robotaxis and different absolutely self-driving vehicles are an omnipresent actuality. They do serve a goal. However each the constructive and unfavourable traits in place appear to be urgent laborious, and I would reasonably issues skew within the route of practicality than fake we’re all well-off professionals who get all the pieces massive and heavy delivered by white-glove companies.

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The affordability problem

One remaining thought

Honda

I do have one different concern, and that is pricing traits. Even compact crossovers are typically costlier than sedans, so there’s the chance that our buying habits will inadvertently push some individuals out of the auto market, significantly if firms cannot determine a option 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 test. There’ll all the time be somebody contemporary out of school 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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