I am eagerly awaiting the loss of life of the sedan

One of many highlights of the 2025 New York Worldwide Auto Present was the Kia EV4, at the moment as a result of attain the US in early 2026. It was notable for just a few causes: uncommon styling, twin 12.3-inch touchscreens, and as much as 330 miles (531 kilometers) of vary for those who 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 unintentionally set off itself whenever 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, however it additionally made me notice 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 means out, and for as soon as I am truly supportive of the way in which the world goes, so long as reasonably priced 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) in the course of the ’80s and ’90s, sedans had been in all places. On reflection, they had been the “default” automotive for North America — you solely purchased one thing else to accommodate area of interest calls for. In the event you needed ample cargo area, you purchased a van, a truck, or a station wagon; for those who needed to save cash, you purchased a compact hatchback. Even plenty 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 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 for those who’re a house owner who’s principally touring backwards and forwards to work, sometimes shuttling children round, taking holidays, or having an evening out. However for those who’re usually 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’ve got settled right into a home, there is a good likelihood you may 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 automotive solely to comprehend it will not match.

Kids exacerbate the scenario. My spouse and I solely have one little one, however like many individuals as of late, we do not have handy kinfolk 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 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 reasonably priced and slot in a single-car storage. We nonetheless run into area issues generally, however it’s often nothing some inventive seat manipulation cannot repair. I am unable to think about making an attempt 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 up, 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 facets of this trajectory I do not like. Many SUVs are nonetheless unnecessarily large, blocking lanes and sightlines in visitors, and naturally posing a extra critical menace in the event that they hit one thing. The identical can be stated of many vehicles, 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 robust 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 optimistic and destructive developments in place appear to be urgent onerous, and I would moderately issues skew within the course of practicality than fake we’re all well-off professionals who get all the things massive and heavy delivered by white-glove companies.

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The affordability difficulty

One ultimate thought

Honda

I do have one different concern, and that is pricing developments. Even compact crossovers are generally costlier than sedans, so there’s the chance that our purchasing habits will inadvertently push some individuals out of the auto market, significantly if corporations 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, in the end.

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 experience — the business cannot fake that everybody is able to shell out $40,000 or extra for his or her ultimate do-it-all-mobile.

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