Peter Vosper: When bigger isn’t better - why the Bay refuses to follow the SUV craze

Cars are getting bigger in the UK and Europe – but not so much in Devon and Cornwall.

The BBC reports cars are steadily becoming longer, wider and heavier. Consumers like them and see them as practical, safe
and stylish, and sales are growing.

But in Devon and Cornwall in 2025, A,B,C and Small utility car segments are larger than the national average, which is hardly surprising as firstly the roads are narrower in certain areas and secondly, the area is less wealthy than many parts of the UK.

Bigger cars are generally more polluting so many cities have been watching how Paris has tackled the problem, where from October 2024, on street parking charges have increased for visiting “heavy” vehicles were trebled following a public vote.

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This meant the charge for a one hour stay in the centre rose from £5.20 to £15.70 and £65 to £196 for six hours. Within a few months the town hall claimed the number of very heavy cars parking on the streets had fallen by two-thirds.

Cardiff has made the decision to increase the charges for cars weighing over 5290lbs, the equivalent of two Ford Fiestas. The
Labour controlled authority said, “These heavier vehicles typically produce more emissions, cause greater wear and tear
on roads, and critically pose a significantly higher risk in the event of a road traffic collision.”

Initially this charge will only apply to a small number of vehicles, but Cardiff intends to lower the weight threshold over time. Other local authorities are thinking of following suit. Since 2018 the average weight has increased from 3000lbs to 3500lbs.

Also, between 2001 and 2018 the average width of cars on European markets roads grew by nearly 3.9 inches and the length by 7.4 inches.

Critics argue the UK’s crowded and narrow roads and town centres simply cannot cope with this. The standard width of an
on street parking place is 1.8 metres (5.9ft) in many places.

Figures published by T&E, a green transport group, suggest half of the100 top-selling cars were fractionally wider than this, by 2023. Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs), cars that resemble off road vehicles but do not have four-wheel drive, continue to grow in popularity. SUVs have outsold all other cars in Europe since 2021.

Rachel Burgess, editor of Autocar magazine, believes it is their size that makes them so popular. “Everyone I have spoken to over the years who has bought an SUV says they like being higher up, they like better visibility, and they feel safer on motorways and bigger roads.”

“It's often better for people with kids to get them in and out of the car with that extra height; and also, for people who are less
mobile, it’s much easier to get in and out of an SUV than a lower hatchback or saloon.”

The safety issues added to the environmental disadvantages are of concern but there is no reason SUVs cannot work for some people in certain cases. It is likely that those who chose them will have to pay additional charges to bring them into built up areas and when the pence per mile scheme arrives a higher rate for SUVs may be introduced.

We will find it more difficult in this part of the world and many would love to see more choice in the smaller lower priced cars, particularly in the current economic climate.