SUVs are taking Europe by storm and now account for more than half of new car sales

European buyers, once vocal critics of North America's seemingly insatiable appetite for SUVs and crossovers of all sorts and shapes, have now taken the same route and themselves adopted this type of body instead of the traditional ones station wagon, limousine, van in minivans.

This shift, driven by a number of factors such as changing family needs and the rise of electrified options, has resulted in SUVs have reached critical mass in Europe and became a dominant force not only in their segments but also in the entire market.

The continued growth in popularity of SUVs and crossovers shows no signs of abating, as this popular body type will be in 2023 accounted for 51% of all new vehicles, sold in Europe.

Data from Europe show that last year around the continent was sold approx 6,63 million SUVs, which means significantly A 19% increase compared to 2022. The small SUV segment has become the strongest, boasting 2.159.427 vehicles sold, which means 1A 4% increase compared to the previous year. Compact SUVs followed closely behind as the second largest segment with 1.904.669 sold vehicles.

According to the company Dataforce, published by Auto News, SUVs now account for half of the 10 largest vehicle segments in Europe. The small SUV and compact SUV segments were followed by small cars with 1.730.015 units sold and compact cars with 1.508.061 deliveries. The premium mid-size SUV and premium compact SUV segments followed closely behind with 834.939 and 721.376 units, respectively.

Demand for premium mid-size SUVs has surpassed all other market segments, largely due to the model Tesla Model Y, whose sales grew by 85% and amounted to 254.822 units. Also the popularity of the model Mercedes-Benz GLC increased significantly as sales increased by 32% to 91.259 units. Due in particular to the influence of the Model Y, 48% of all premium midsize SUVs sold last year were battery electric vehicles (BEVs).