I am eagerly awaiting the loss of life of the seda...

One of many highlights of the 2025 New York Worldwide Auto Present was the Kia EV4, at present attributable to attain the US in early 2026. It was notable for a number of causes: uncommon styling, twin 12.3-inch touchscreens, and as much as 330 miles (531 kilometers) of vary in case 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 accident set off itself while you’re jamming out to

Spotify
. Thoughts you, Apple says the identical factor about

Siri
.

It ought to — by all rights — be a stable

electric car
for the individuals who need one, but it surely additionally made me understand 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 manner 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 pattern already in progress

Honda

Once I was rising up in Canada (and visiting the US) throughout the ’80s and ’90s, sedans had been in every single place. On reflection, they had been the “default” automotive for North America — you solely purchased one thing else to accommodate area of interest calls for. For those who needed ample cargo area, you purchased a van, a truck, or a station wagon; in case you needed to economize, you purchased a compact hatchback. Even a variety of highschool children ended up getting used sedans as starter autos.

You possibly can nonetheless purchase new sedans, however in North America they have been eclipsed in reputation by SUVs, vans, and crossovers. Whereas it is troublesome to trace down up-to-the-minute knowledge, 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 street 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 sensible in case you’re a home-owner who’s principally touring backwards and forwards to work, often shuttling children round, taking holidays, or having an evening out. However in case you’re often shifting from condominium to condominium — like many millennials and Gen Zers — a sedan cannot match that many bins, not to mention massive items of furnishings. And even as soon as you’ve got settled right into a home, there is a good likelihood you will be occurring weekend runs to shops like House 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 state of affairs. My spouse and I solely have one baby, however like many individuals as of late, we do not have handy family 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 area 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 street forward

Adapting type elements 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 best format for us — extra cargo area than a sedan, however nonetheless sufficiently small to be inexpensive and slot in a single-car storage. We nonetheless run into area issues generally, 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 area for bigger batteries on EV fashions. The Chevy Equinox EV (above) is spectacular to me as one thing below $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 severe menace in the event that they hit one thing. The identical can be mentioned of many vans, 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 fully? I doubt it, a minimum of till robotaxis and different totally self-driving vehicles are an omnipresent actuality. They do serve a goal. However each the constructive and detrimental traits in place appear to be urgent laborious, and I would somewhat issues skew within the course of practicality than faux we’re all well-off professionals who get every part huge and heavy delivered by white-glove companies.

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The affordability situation

One ultimate thought

Honda

I do have one different concern, and that is pricing traits. Even compact crossovers are generally dearer than sedans, so there’s the danger that our buying habits will inadvertently push some individuals out of the auto market, notably if firms cannot determine a approach to construct a worthwhile EV equal of sub-compacts just like the Honda Match. The business goes to go all-electric, eventually.

I am comparatively optimistic on that entrance, just because know-how retains evolving, and buyer demand is sure to maintain issues in examine. There’ll all the time be somebody recent out of school who wants an inexpensive trip — the business cannot faux that everybody is able to shell out $40,000 or extra for his or her splendid do-it-all-mobile.

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