In this way, SUVs in Germany are not only gaining market share from lower-consumption station wagons, according to the market observer IHS Automotive. 'Convertibles suffer from it in the small and compact segment,' said analyst Henner Lehne of the magazine a uto motor und sport . 'Who used to be a Peugeot 206 CC, today drives a Kia Sportage as an expression of his attitude towards life. ”
China is SUV country
However, the SUV boom is even stronger in the USA and China. Economical station wagons play practically no role in markets such as the USA and China, while SUVs are becoming increasingly important. 'With these models, the Chinese express a part of their lifestyle,' says Analyst Lehne. 'They don't want station wagons,' says Lehne. The SUV market is currently exploding: In the first four months of 2015, sales of SUVs in China alone rose by 48.7 percent.