Reasons Why Cars are Getting Bigger: Space, Design & More

Not many people prefer bulky muscle cars, however, the trend of bigger cars is here to stay.

Generally, you must have noticed that car sizes are getting bigger. Mainly, SUVs are growing in size with every passing year. The new models of many known SUVs are wider, taller and longer than their predecessors.

This trend can be attributed to various reasons, from public demand and space requirements to safety features and road regulations. Let’s delve deeper into why cars are getting bigger over the years.

Why are Cars Getting Bigger

Following are the common causes why cars are getting bigger in size.

1. Safety Features

Airbags released in a car — Cars need to be bigger to have sufficient space for the optimum functionality of airbags

In the previous few decades, cars have become faster, which increases the need for safety. The evolution in car safety features has led to safety cell technology, crumple zones and different types of airbags.

However, modern safety equipment require more space for their installation and function. For example, an airbag requires deployment distance and storage space to avoid injuries. This is especially true for door mounted and front-facing airbags that require around 10 inches of deployment distance.

To put it simply, cars are getting bigger because airbags, safety cells, crumple zones and other prominent safety features all need plenty of space in order to fit in the car. Though more efficient safety features in the cars is a welcome addition but they need more space to get installed in cars and to function properly.

2. The Rise of SUVs

what is the average size of a car depends on body type. Naturally, SUVs are bigger in size — SUVs are not just bigger in size, but they also offer more space, comfort and safety

Jeep, Nissan, Toyota are among popular SUV manufacturers. These brands have been dominating the auto market for quite some time. Naturally, the SUVs offered by auto manufacturers are larger than their sedan counterparts. From Ford Explorer to Jeep Grand Cherokee, and KIA Sportage, the SUV options are increasing with every passing year.

Check out these listings of used models of some of the most popular SUVs for sale in the UAE:

Marketed as utilitarian and practical vehicles with off-road capabilities, SUVs have significantly increased in their average size compared to their first models. They have become so popular that their designs are even picked up by some non-SUV models. Despite their size and weight, these cars are in demand due to their various luxury features that require quite a lot of space.

Moreover, families prefer SUVs because of more passenger vacancy, more space and safety features. If you are interested in buying a second-hand SUV, go through these popular used SUVs in the UAE.

3. Space Demand by Customers

The rear view of a car with an open trunk — Bigger cars usually come with spacious trunks allowing you to carry more cargo

People often use their personal cars for long journeys. Some also prefer to drive their vehicle for off-roading activities. This was not the case initially, but now such activities require cars to be more spacious. More cargo space in cars is the need of the day as you are likely to take food supplies, miscellaneous equipment and other belongings.

Moreover, a spacious car offers other benefits including more cargo space, more legroom and headroom for the driver and passengers, among other things.

As for off-roading, regular cars do not have the capacity to cross such terranes. On the other hand, most SUVs have the capacity to cover off path routes safely. That said, you need off-road mode and big tyres to tackle tougher off-road paths. For that you have to check the modes available on your SUV.

4. Design Trends

In the auto industry, manufacturers follow the design trends quite religiously. Furthermore, with certain regulations in place for car manufacturers to follow, the design options get slightly limited. Therefore, you will observe only a certain few designs for each kind of car body type. The trends keep changing, but the current trend leans more towards a longer, wider, and a taller car design.

Not only are the SUVs getting bigger in size but even certain models of minis and sedans are gaining in size when compared with their predecessors.

5. More Complicated Features

Earlier cars were nothing more than engine powered carriages with the only purpose of covering short distances. These cars were then revolutionised over the years to address aesthetics, comfort, durability and ability to cover longer distances at higher speed.

This modernisation has made the car design and functions excessively complicated.

With the introduction of complicated features and the need for speed, the need for space also increased. Many technology features such as braking assist, forward collision, accident avoidance are added to the modern car.

Thanks to the competition to deliver the best, new tech features are continuously introduced by the major car manufacturers as well. All these features use sensors for their functioning, and there are hundreds of them all over a modern car. Needless to say, they take quite some space too.

6. Evolution of Car Design

Thanks to the innovative design features and technological advancements, cars are faster and efficient despite the larger size and weight. In the late 90’s companies started switching towards manufacturing of sleeker cars because big ones were not fuel efficient.

However, thanks to the technical advancements today, even SUVs, CUVs, MUVs and regular cars are fuel efficient. This is because there is a better aerodynamic for these vehicles allowing them to offer better speed and stay efficient (performance and fuel wise) despite the size and weight.

These are all the reasons why cars are getting bigger or wider. Whether you prefer driving a spacious car or a narrower model, check out these used cars for sale in the UAE and select the car of your choice from a plethora of options.

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