SUVs rule the market, just not the ones we like

Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs) now represent the largest new-vehicle segment in the market. Figures from the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) show 18,684 sales in 2011, for a 29 per cent share of the market, up from 16,326 and 26 per cent a year ago. A press release from the Motor Trade Association (MTA) says, "the result is that models such as the Toyota Highlander, Holden Captiva, Ford Territory, Kia Sportage and Hyundai Santa Fe, amongst others, all experienced good volume growth in 2011." It's interesting that not one of these has low-range gearing. Most of the growth has again come at the expense of the large-car segment, which, at nine per cent, is now the smallest in the market. Five years ago, SUVs and large cars together made up 38 per cent of passenger car sales, the same proportion as they did in 2011, only now in significantly different ratios.