The line of distinction between cars and utility vehicle may vanish completely as the latter become a common place everywhere in the world. Some years ago, an SUV was meant to be big with a huge body on frame construction that had the capability of going mostly anywhere. But now the definition of an SUV has been redefined as a luxury vehicle. With the roll out of a number of small SUVs, the market now seems as if these small SUVs could replace the demand of large mid-size cars as they offer more room and a commanding view of the road ahead, adding to its huge road presence.
Global sales of small utility vehicle now account for around 13 million units a year or 18 percent of the worldwide market. That is 35 percent more than 2005. Sales of small utility vehicle have doubled since 2005 and is still going strong. The SUV market of the US had boomed during 1990 and this took place with Ford’s aggressive roll out of some awesome SUVs. Now, eyeing the market demand, the automaker is planning to roll out its range of small SUVs (like the EcoSport and Kuga) to more markets worldwide.
Ford’s latest offering, the EcoSport which is currently sold in 10 countries as of now, will be increased to 60 by 2017 in keeping with Ford’s aggressive plans. Ford has been profitable in the US market with a profit of $8.34 billion last year but in the European market, the scenario is entirely opposite. The market of Europe has seen a rising demand for small SUVs since 2005. In emerging markets such as India, the demand has shifted towars small SUVs as they offer similar dimensions of a small car while offering more room and similar fuel economy.
