Offbeat | Honey, we shrank the SUV – and Europe loves it

In Europe, SUV now stands for: Shrinking Utility Vehicle. An array of ever-smaller sport utility vehicles and SUV car-like crossovers is going on display this week at the Geneva International Motor Show. Automakers are piling into the segment as one of the best hopes for growth in a still-weak European market.
Consumers like the higher seating, easier entry and perceived greater freight-carrying capacity. Auto makers like the fact that they can build an SUV body on the same mechanical platforms and modules they use for compact cars, saving money on development costs.
The key in Europe has turned out to be putting the vehicles on platforms originally built for compact or small mid-sized cars. They’re generally less than 4.5 meters long, or smaller than a Honda Civic, which measures 4.54 meters.
Compact SUVs have gained in popularity globally, but they’re really getting attention now in Europe. The smaller size helps with narrow streets and tight parking in European cities that made full-size SUVs less practical for many people, and a little politically incorrect as well for the more environmentally-conscious. The recently lower price of gasoline will not hurt, although gas remains painfully expensive in Europe compared with the United States due to high taxes.