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, presently because of 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 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 unintentionally 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 stable

electric car
for the individuals who need one, nevertheless it additionally made me notice one thing — I’ve completely zero curiosity in sedans anymore, regardless 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 truly supportive of the best way the world goes, so long as inexpensive choices stick round too.

Why sedans ought to disappear

A pattern already in progress

Honda

After I was rising up in Canada (and visiting the US) in the course of the ’80s and ’90s, sedans have been in all places. 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 case you wished ample cargo area, you acquire a van, a truck, or a station wagon; in the event you wished to save cash, you acquire a compact hatchback. Even a number of highschool children ended up getting used sedans as starter autos.

You’ll be able to 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 automobile manufacturers have added SUVs to their lineups. I see Porsche Cayennes on the street on a regular basis — regardless of that purchasing an SUV for efficiency is akin to purchasing a Bowie knife to cut up dinner greens.

A sedan is sensible in the event you’re a home-owner who’s largely touring backwards and forwards to work, often shuttling children round, taking holidays, or having an evening out. However in the event you’re frequently transferring from condominium to condominium — like many millennials and Gen Zers — a sedan cannot match that many containers, not to mention giant items of furnishings. And even as soon as you have settled right into a home, there is a good probability you will be occurring 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 understand it will not match.

Youngsters exacerbate the state of affairs. My spouse and I solely have one little one, however like many individuals today, we do not have handy relations 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 dad and mom 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 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 inexpensive and slot in a single-car storage. We nonetheless run into area issues typically, nevertheless it’s often nothing some artistic seat manipulation cannot repair. I can not think about making an attempt to do the identical issues with my outdated 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 elements 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 risk in the event that they hit one thing. The identical may also be mentioned of many vehicles, which regularly 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 robust on the streets.

Will sedans disappear utterly? I doubt it, at the least till robotaxis and different absolutely self-driving vehicles are an omnipresent actuality. They do serve a objective. However each the constructive and unfavorable traits in place appear to be urgent onerous, and I would somewhat issues skew within the path of practicality than fake we’re all well-off professionals who get all the pieces large and heavy delivered by white-glove companies.

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The affordability challenge

One last 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 procuring habits will inadvertently push some folks out of the auto market, notably if corporations cannot determine a technique to construct a worthwhile EV equal of sub-compacts just like the Honda Match. The business goes to go all-electric, in the end.

I am comparatively optimistic on that entrance, just because expertise retains evolving, and buyer demand is certain to maintain issues in examine. There’ll at all times be somebody contemporary out of faculty who wants an inexpensive experience — the business 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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