In the next two years, you will see SUVs from Alpine and Ferrari as well as Polestar with higher profit margins.
Smart and Lotus are both new members to the SUV club. The Eletre was the first SUV from British sports car manufacturer, British Sports Car Brand. Smart also revealed the #1 in April. This B-segment SUV should be able to rival the Mini Countryman. These products were created in response to the SUV boom that has driven automaker growth ever since the 2000s.
These vehicles tend to be more expensive for consumers than those that are based on shared platforms with other models. This allows automakers to make greater profits. It is easy to see how it works: create one platform, then make different body types. The SUV will be at the top of the pricing structure. According to data from JATO Dynamics, the price gap is significant.
For example, in Italy, an SUV of the B-segment is 35 percent more costly than a similar car. The luxury F segment has a 11% gap. An SUV costs on average 33 percent more than a car in all segments. This is why nearly every major automaker makes at least one SUV.
It’s almost, but not all
There are still some brands that resist the lure of SUV profits. Some brands aren’t interested in the SUV profits because it is not part their brand’s DNA. Some simply lack the funds. For a few, plans are already being made for SUVs.
You won’t find an SUV from the following 11 brands as of spring 2022: Abarth and Alpine, Bugatti. Chrysler, Ferrari. Lucid. McLaren. Pagani. Polestar. This list does not include niche companies such as Caterham, Morgan and Rimac.
An SUV is expected to be available in the future for Alpine and Ferrari. In fact, the Ferrari purosangue will be revealedin coming months. These brands, with the possible exception of Ferrari need an SUV to gain more traction in a relatively new market.
Chrysler has recently revealed its Airflow concept. This blurs the lines between SUV, crossover and hatchback. However, a production version of this vehicle is still many years away. Although Abarth doesn’t currently have an SUV, the Pulse Abarth was revealed by Fiat for South America. It should be available later in the year.
Other supercar brands like Bugatti and McLaren are recognized, so an SUV may not be a priority. This could change if the Ferrari purosangue is a success for Maranello and the brand’s image. Curiously, RAM is the sixth largest brand in terms of sales, although the main focus has been on the Stellantis pickup trucks and commercial vehicles.
Lucid is just starting its journey as an independent brand. Its electric Air sedan has been the first step, but an SUV should be next. Lancia longs for more products but has not yet presented a product plan that included an SUV in its future lineup.