Why The Interest In Crossover, SUV, 4×4 cars?

Although there’s an enormous amount of interest in small cars today there is renewed and rising interest in Crossover, SUV, 4×4 cars.

Over the past four decades interest in small more economical cars rose every time there was an economic downturn or rise in fuel prices. Historically this hasn’t necessarily meant a rise in the sale of small cars. People said one thing about their intentions in surveys but that wasn’t what they actually did. The medium small Focus, Astra, Golf sector remained the most popular.

The reason car buyers have said one thing and done another in the past is although a car has to be affordable it also has to suit a buyers’ lifestyle. Over the past four decades small cars have grown from 3.5m to near 4m increasing their interior space and safety. Today small car sales are edging to the fore.

What is surprising is the renewed interest in the Crossover, SUV, 4×4 sector. This sector near died a death by 2007 because of running costs but has been rescued by the Crossover car concept. A Crossover car is built like a car – not a truck – and drives more like a car with more car like running costs.

It seems car buyers believe Crossovers, SUVs and 4x4s are suited to their lifestyle and are now a consideration as they become financially viable. The Nissan Qashqai’s amazing success is a good example.

The Nissan Qashqai replaced their Almera which competed in the most popular Focus, Astra, Golf sector. The Qashqai is an interesting alternative to the ubiquitous family hatchback.

A Qashqai is built on a Renault Megane platform as is the Renault Scenic but the Qashqai does not have the versatility of MPVs so why the interest? Without going into explaining the body styles of estate cars, SUVs and MPVs the main difference is the Qashqai has a prominent horizontal bonnet as opposed to one box MPV style with a steeply sloped windscreen merging into a sloping bonnet.

I can’t analyse the attraction of a prominent bonnet, maybe it’s an indication of a big powerful engine under the hood or perceived frontal crash protection. Certainly Ford have latched onto this style feature with the new C-Max having a more distinctive bonnet more like the Kuga than the old C-Max.

I seems against all reason SUVs should compete with more versatile MPVs when it comes to cars suiting lifestyles. However Crossovers have improved SUV versatility. The interest in Crossovers, SUVs and 4x4s seems to be a combination of being an alternative to the ubiquitous hatchback, with near MPV versatility and 4×4 macho styling.

What nearly killed the SUV sector was the viability of running the things. Vehicles like the RAV4, CR-V, Freelander followed by the Tiguan have managed to survive but with entry prices £20,000 or more it’s a bit of a stretch from the price of a family hatch.

Although the Qashqai costs more than a Megane it’s close enough to be considered. What has really racked up the interest in Crossovers is lower priced entrants into the market like the Hyundai ix35, Kia Sportage, Mitsubishi ASX and Skoda Yeti.

All the new entrants have the 4×4 style, adequate – not MPV – versatility in the dimensions of a Ford Focus. This makes them strong contenders as cars to suit people’s lifestyles.

If you compare their performance, emissions and fuel consumption with traditional 4x4s the improvements are amazing. However they don’t come close to the new improved efficiency of the everyday family hatchback. But maybe that’s not the comparison being made. They could be comparing Crossovers with the cars they are replacing.

Car sales have been poor since 2007 with owners postponing changing their cars which are most likely to be reliable and durable enough to hold onto. If their car is something like a Focus, Astra, Scenic, Zafira then their versatility probably still suits, whilst engine efficiency and general running costs have been good enough. Who’d pay thousands even tens of thousands to change their cars for the same type of car with small improvements?

However a Crossover is different, might suit their lifestyle and is now more affordable. It will be interesting to see when car sales pick up if interest in the Crossover sector will manifest itself in sales as it has done with the Qashqai.

Certainly there are deals to be done with dealers offering heavy discounts and low rate finance. If you ask for even more discount and better finance rates you may well get them. Just be sure you also get a good price for your part-exchange and discount on add-ons. Don’t be swayed by one of these for deals, you need the best on all four.

Four things you need to check:

• Get the latest EuroNCAP rating for new entrants into the market – you need 5-stars and ESP/ESC.
• The elevated view of the road from a Crossover has many advantages but be sure you’re happy with the cars’ higher centre of gravity, it’s stability and handling.
• When considering different engine and trim options be aware of the changes in car insurance groups and the differences in premiums.
• If you consider diesel engines compare it with a similar performing petrol engine and calculate at what total mileage savings in fuel costs repay the extra you pay for a diesel car.

Regards
Ralph
carbuyersinfo.co.uk. car comparison website to help you find the car to suit your purpose and purse

Has the Nissan Qashqai got any competition?

The Nissan Qashqai has been amazingly successful in the UK.  It was one of the first Crossovers to be launched just at the time SUVs became the kiss of death in 2006/7.

If we asked the question, ‘has the Qashqai got any competitors in its class?’ We have to ask, ‘what class of car is it?’ OK it’s a Crossover however so is a 3008 and XC60 but the similarity ends with them being called Crossovers.

It all comes down to style. An XC60 looks like a 4×4 SUV, a 3008 looks more like an MPV. Where does that leave the Qashqai?

The Qashqai replaced the Nissan Almera which was a family hatchback like the Focus, Astra, Golf, Megane. The Nissan Qashqai is built on a Renault Megane platform so it can simply be seen as a very interesting alternative to a ubiquitous Focus etc. What’s interesting is it doesn’t look like an everyday hatch. It’s different.

The Qashqai is built like a Renault Scenic which is also on a Megane platform so a Qashqai could be seen as an MPV but it couldn’t hold a candle to a Scenic for space and versatility which is what an MPV promises. Plus the Qashqai doesn’t look like an MPV because it has horizontal bonnet like a SUV, not a steep windscreen merging into a sloping bonnet like an MPV. A SUV is a two box style, an MPV has a one box appearance.

So a Qashqai doesn’t look like a family hatch or an MPV. It looks more like a SUV. Nearly all SUVs launched since 2006 are built as Crossovers on car platforms, not like old SUVs built on truck platforms. Personally, I think these new-comers are marketed as SUVs because they make more money in the market. A Kuga is on a Focus platform but it’s not Focus money. A Tiguan is on a Golf platform but it’s not Golf money.

A Nissan Qashqai is on a Megane platform and it’s not far off Megane money.

So a Qashqai doesn’t look like a hatch or MPV. It looks more like a SUV. Although its built on a hatch platform like an MPV. The big difference is a Qashqai is a viable alternative to a hatch or MPV with SUV style which is perceived and in most cases does cost more than a hatch or MPV. The Qashqai looks a bit of value.

To find cars to compete with the Qashqai we need to look at SUVs priced nearer hatchback prices less than £20,000 plus. This knocks out contenders which first spring to mind like the Captiva, Kuga, Freelander, and Tiguan because they’re too much money. The 3008 looks more like an MPV to me.

However the Hyundai ix35, Kia Sportage, Mitsubishi ASX and Skoda Yeti all enter the market with prices near enough to those of popular hatchbacks. The attraction of these cars is they’re different from a Focus or Astra.

How do they match up to a Nissan Qashqai?

Price

Hyundai ix35 – £16605 to £23865
Kia Sportage – £17020 to £26755
Mitsubishi ASX – £15999 to £24399
Nissan Qashqai – £17595 to £23645
Skoda Yeti – £14645 to £23895

Overall length and minimum/maximum load capacity

Hyundai ix35 – 4.41m, 591(l), 1436 (l)
Kia Sportage – 4.44, 564,1353
Mitsubishi ASX – 4.3, 442, 1193
Nissan Qashqai – 4.32/52, 410, 1520
Skoda Yeti – 4.22, 416, 1760

Combined fuel consumption, emissions, maximum speed and acceleration 0-62 mph

Hyundai ix35 1.6 2WD – 44.1 mpg, 149 CO2, 111 mph, 11.1 seconds
Kia Sportage 1.6 2WD – 44.1 mpg, 149 CO2, 111 mph, 10.7 seconds
Mitsubishi ASX 1.6 2WD – 47.9 mpg, 135 CO2, 113 mph, 11.4 seconds
Nissan Qashqai 1.6 2WD – 42.8 mpg, 154 CO2, 112 mph, 12.9 seconds
Skoda Yeti 1.2 2WD – 44.1 mpg, 149 CO2, 109 mph, 11.8 seconds

The Yeti has the lowest entry price, then the ASX. The Yeti is the most compact with the largest maximum load space. All five rank closely for engine efficiency to the point there may be no difference in real on the road driving conditions.

Style and driver comfort are matters for your personal taste. These cars may not have the brand equity of a Land Rover however Hyundai, Kia and Skoda outrank most premium brands for customer satisfaction. Nissan and Mitsubishi have built their own band of loyal followers over decades and both have a reputation for making highly capable 4x4s and high performance super cars.

Obviously this is just a quick guide, but yes the Qashqai launched a successful concept so it was always going to attract competition. All are viable and interesting alternatives to ubiquitous hatchbacks.

Regards
Ralph
carbuyersinfo.co.uk. car comparisons revealing similarities and differences to help find the right car for your purpose and purse

Hyundai ix35 vs Kia Sportage

 The ix35 and Sportage are creating a lot of interest in the Crossover sector. A Crossover is a SUV style body built on a light-weight car platform unlike older SUVs which were built like heavy trucks.

Crossovers are more economical, greener, handle better and usually much safer in terms of accident prevention and protection. Many enter with 2WD and AWD as an optional model. AWD is not as capable as all-terrain 4×4, they’re called soft-roaders rather than off-roaders.

Here we look at the Crossover Hyundai ix35 vs Kia Sportage, you might also consider the Mitsubishi ASX.

These three Crossovers are keenly priced to the extent they can be a viable alternative to the ubiquitous family hatchback. Some might consider them fun and a bit more interesting. The ix35 started at £16605 the Sportage at £17020 in April. Most other Crossovers start near £20000.

There’s a tiny difference in the overall length of the Sportage and ix35 at 4.44m and 4.41m respectively. As 5-seaters the Sportage has 564(l) load space the ix35 591 – a big hold-all difference. You get 1353 and 1436(l) maximum load space – one suitcase.

The engine options are similar although you have a 2.0 petrol AWD manual or automatic option with the Sportage. The ix35 has a 2.0 CRDi2WD option. Other engines appear to be the same. There’s an insignificant difference between 2WD and AWD for economy, emissions, top speed and acceleration. Automatic transmission is a little more juicy.

It’s interesting Crossovers still offer petrol engine options. Many SUVs and 4x4s are now only available with diesel engines with no petrol options. This suggests diesel is the most viable option. But is it? Certainly in small cars and family hatchbacks you need to be a high mileage driver to make enough fuel savings to cover the added cost of a diesel car.

So whats the difference in costs between a Kia Sportage diesel and petrol?

A Sportage 1.6 2WD ISG is a tiny bit quicker than a 1.7 diesel 2WD ISG but the petrol has a combined 44.1 mpg, the diesel 54.3 mpg. The 2.0 petrol AWD manual and 2.0 diesel AWD have a similar difference 37.2/49.6 respectively.

Today a Sportage 1.6 GDi 2WD is £17295 and 1.7 CRDI 2WD is £18695. A premium of £1400 for the diesel.

Petrol costs £1.369p per litre £6.22 per gallon, diesel £1.419p per litre £6.45 per gallon.

12,000 miles/44.1 mpg = 272 gallons of petrol costing £1691.84.

12.000 miles/54.3 mpg = 221 gallons of diesel costing £1425.45.

Every 12,000 miles the diesel saves £266.39 in fuel costs.

The premium paid for a car £1400/266.39×12000 miles will take 63065 miles to recover.

If you do 12000 miles per year that’s 5-years. So petrol is a consideration.

There is the argument when you part exchange a diesel car you might get more for it. It is likely to be the case with a SUV or 4×4. It’s questionable for small cars and medium size family hatchback. However nobody can predict the used car market 5-years down the road. The used car market is a real market with many buyers and sellers.

The combined mpg is a figure achieved in a lab’ for the DVLA and not necessarily what a car will return on the road given various driving styles and conditions. Out of interest a Ford Focus 1.6 petrol has 47.9 combined mpg, diesel  67.3 mpg.

The main differences between a ix35 and Sportage is Hyundai come with a 5-year warranty, Kia with 7-years. The Kia Sportage also has higher priced specifications at the top end of their range.

If you are considering a Crossover please calculate for yourself the difference between running a petrol or diesel.

Regards
Ralph
carbuyersinfo.co.uk car comparison site revealing differences and similarities to help find the right car for you. Discover which Crossover, SUV, 4×4 suits your purpose and purse.