A Sport Utility Vehicle or an SUV is Ireland’s family dream drive of 2024. We are seeing more are more and more of these stylish, sleek beasts on the roads every day. We are selling more and more too! Irish motorists are choosing to drive SUV and SUV Crossovers mainly for the comfort and the safety, but also because they look pretty swish too!
SUV and SUV Crossover are fairly loose terms in the motor industry and are often used interchangeably. Technically speaking, (at here at a Peter Hanley’s, we do like to speak technically!) an SUV is a combination of a regular road going car with some off-road features, like a higher road clearance and four-wheel drive options. With a classic SUV, the frame and the body are manufactured separately and joined together to make a rugged, tough truck-chassis vehicle that is built for rough road driving, hauling and much more than the average shopping and beach tripping. A crossover SUV is lighter and constructed on a car platform. But as the classification is so wide. It is correct to say that SUVs can come in all sizes, and all colours, marques and with all the bells and whistles you want bringing smoother and safer drive.
SUV’s offer more comfort. They are bigger, with more leg room, more passenger space and plenty of boot space for everything from golf bags to weekend luggage. But safety is the huge appeal to those who choose to drive an SUV. The advance safety features of a modern SUV include all the up-to-date technology of blind spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control, brake assist, forward collision warning, cross traffic alert and so much more. There are those who say that driving from a higher elevation, with a better view of the roads feels safer too. There is ‘crumple room’ too. ‘Crumple Room’ is the dead space incorporated into vehicles whereby they are designed to crumple in a frontal impact crash and absorb the impact and protect the driver and front passengers. The bigger the car, the bigger the crumple room.
Motorists like bigger cars anyway. Or so it would seem. Even those living in cities with difficult access to parking are happy to get on board with the larger vehicles. In the UK , cars have grown by 0.5cm in size year on year, for the past decade and CompleteCar.ie editor, Shane O’Donoghue feels the trend is the same here https://www.newstalk.com/news/why-are-irish-cars-getting-so-big-1635325 .
‘Put simply, people want safer cars and often they tend to be larger than previous models. People obviously want more crossover SUVs than ever before,” Mr O’Donoghue said. Some people have large families they need to transport around, and tall people might not fit comfortably into an average size vehicle….The human race, certainly in this part of the world, is increasing in size. Obviously, we need bigger cars for that. People do want and a lot of people do also need more space in the car.’
With SUV size matters! There is plenty of room for the weekly shop, the large family dog, car pooling to GAA practice and you may even opt for a towbar extra and get more adventures underway with boat or trailer transported with ease. It has to noted though, that for some drivers, parking might be an problem. This is particularly true for those urban drivers who have to navigate the mean skinny spaces and tight turns of the average multi storey parking lot. Not such a problem here in the midlands!
Come on over and chat to us here at Peter Hanley Motors to get the straight-talking low down on the joys and woes of driving an SUV. It’s worth noting that they can be heavier on fuel or electric range, than your average car fitted with the same engine. The non-SUV car has a lower centre of gravity and reduced weight which also means that they may handle, accelerate and brake better. But that is the pay-off for driving a solid safe and good looking beast with lots of comfort.
The main things to consider when choosing an SUV are pretty much the same as choosing any motor.
How does it drive? Getting used to a crossover, or an SUV can be tricky for some drivers. It is not the same and the larger proportions are not for everyone, particularly if you have mobility issues. A crossover is a good solution and here at our extensive showrooms in Ballymahon, we can advise on which brand would suit. Most drivers love the transition and Visibility is a huge selling point. That commanding view of the road ahead, accompanied by all round safety cameras is a joy. Comfort in the cabin is another bonus when driving SUV. As family cars, they are legends for fitting everyone in with ease. Bring your child car seats to a test drive just so you can see how beautifully they fit. Finances. Here at Peter Hanley Motors, we offer a complete financial service and can advice on all the options available to see you driving off happy. Us country folk rarely have to worry too much about Parking issues, but if you are upgrading to a fantastic Sports Utility Vehicle, consider where you will be parking the beauty. Will she fit in the space you currently use as it will be a larger vehicle than you are used to?
Irelands best-selling car of 2024 (so far) is the Hyundai Tucson. A moderate enough SUV that ticks all the boxes for the average Irish family’s driving needs. SUVhttps://www.lmoperations.ie/2024/04/29/blog-exploring-the-best-selling-cars-in-ireland/ It’s closely followed by the Toyota Yaris Cross. Clearly showing that Crossover and SUV are the wheels of the future. If you want to join the growing number of SUV drivers cruising happily along Irish roads, browse the website or pop in and see us and between us, we will get the right upgrade for you and your family.
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