I am eagerly awaiting the dying of the sedan

One of many highlights of the 2025 New York Worldwide Auto Present was the Kia EV4, at the moment as a consequence of attain the US in early 2026. It was notable for a couple of 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 in a position to refine its responses and command recognition, so hopefully, it will not by accident set off itself once 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, nevertheless it 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 approach out, and for as soon as I am truly supportive of the best way the world goes, so long as reasonably priced 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 have been in every single place. On reflection, they have been the “default” automobile for North America — you solely purchased one thing else to accommodate area of interest calls for. In the event you needed ample cargo area, to procure a van, a truck, or a station wagon; in the event you needed to economize, to procure a compact hatchback. Even a variety of highschool youngsters 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, vans, and crossovers. Whereas it is tough 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 automobile 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 principally touring backwards and forwards to work, often shuttling youngsters 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 containers, not to mention massive items of furnishings. And even as soon as you have settled right into a home, there is a good probability you may be happening weekend runs to shops like Dwelling Depot, Greatest Purchase, or IKEA. Few issues are extra irritating than carting a TV or stack of lumber out to your automobile solely to appreciate it will not match.

Youngsters exacerbate the state of affairs. My spouse and I solely have one youngster, however like many individuals as of late, we do not have handy family members or babysitters close by. Our son and his booster seat have to return 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 getting full-sized SUVs, even when most of them do not want a Nissan Armada or Chevy Tahoe to take their youngsters to judo classes.

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The highway forward

Adapting kind components for the 2020s

Chevrolet

When my spouse and I purchased a brand new automobile in 2022, we selected the Hyundai Venue, which is a compact crossover SUV. It is the perfect format for us — extra cargo area than a sedan, however nonetheless sufficiently small to be reasonably priced and slot in a single-car storage. We nonetheless run into area issues typically, nevertheless it’s normally nothing some inventive seat manipulation cannot repair. I am unable to 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 underneath $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 large, blocking lanes and sightlines in site visitors, and naturally posing a extra severe menace in the event that they hit one thing. The identical will also be mentioned of many vans, which frequently do not even carry cargo. In locations like Alberta and Texas, it looks like 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, not less than till robotaxis and different absolutely self-driving automobiles are an omnipresent actuality. They do serve a goal. However each the constructive and unfavorable tendencies in place appear to be urgent arduous, and I would slightly issues skew within the route of practicality than fake we’re all well-off professionals who get all the things huge and heavy delivered by white-glove providers.

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The affordability concern

One ultimate thought

Honda

I do have one different concern, and that is pricing tendencies. Even compact crossovers are typically dearer than sedans, so there’s the chance that our procuring habits will inadvertently push some folks out of the auto market, notably if corporations cannot work out a strategy to construct a worthwhile EV equal of sub-compacts just like the Honda Match. The trade goes to go all-electric, ultimately.

I am comparatively optimistic on that entrance, just because know-how retains evolving, and buyer demand is certain to maintain issues in test. There’ll all the time be somebody contemporary out of faculty who wants an affordable journey — the trade cannot fake that everybody is able to shell out $40,000 or extra for his or her very best do-it-all-mobile.

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