A sedan is a vehicle with a fixed roof that can accommodate at least four people, having a “three-box” design – a “box” or compartment in the front for the engine, one for the occupants, and another compartment at the rear called the rear. is the Trunk. The Speedwell Motor Company of Dayton, Ohio, is said to have been the first to use the term sedan to describe a car, its 1911 model year (see vintage car below). Early sedans may have had two or four doors, but the modern meaning of the word is associated with four doors.
Merriam-Webster day the origin of the word “sedan” until 1636. (“Escort ship“Also first appeared that year). survey by manservants. Sedan owners are called “presidents”, which also has a different meaning.
In the UK, sedans are known as saloons, another word meaning alternative. Let’s not dive into the fact that salons have hats and boots instead of hoods and crates.
“Sedan” has been essentially synonymous with “car” for decades. Sedans dominate American highways. When the GM tinkerers urged us to “see America in Chevrolet“they’re talking about a Impala. Sports cars already exist, pickups have always been the thing for farms and fleets, and likewise there are SUVs – Chevy Suburban Nameplates have been in use since 1935. But the public drives Detroit sedans. After, Honda Accords and Toyota Camrys were the best-selling cars in America for many years. The Toyota Corollaa model that includes other body styles but is primarily a sedan, is best selling car of all timeat 50 million copies and continues to grow.
Sedans are not dead yet
Given the reality of the auto market, the title on this article is practically an existential question. As our reviewer Lawrence Ulrich said in Review of Mercedes C-Class: “The sedan became the Jan Brady of the automobile. They are looked down upon and underappreciated. “Yes, yes, but the passenger car is far from dead.
Certainly, sedans are currently being neglected by the car-buying public. SUV /intersect and pickup trucks together now exceed 80% of new light vehicle sales. That doesn’t leave much market share for the humble sedan.
Detroit has turned its back on cars for the US market, leaving only a few vestiges, such as Chevy Malibu (although Impala is gone), or Chrysler 300. Maybe it’s a case of, “If you don’t build it, they won’t come.” Or it could be, “They didn’t come, so we quit building it.” The automakers say they’re focusing on the vehicles people really want — trucks and SUVs — while developing future electric vehicles (many of which will likely be vehicles). trucks and SUVs). However, trucks and SUVs tend to sell for higher prices and provide higher margins than sedans, so automakers have an implicit incentive to ignore sedans.
But not all automakers have given up on what has historically been the great American family car. Honda still has a market for the Accord and Civic. Toyota offers the Camry and Corolla. Nissan has Sentra, Altima and Maxima. Hyundai Accent, Elantra, Sonata. And from then onwards. Japanese, Korean and German car companies have stood by the sedan line despite the sales slump.
Read more: The best-selling car of all time in history
Benefits of a sedan
Sedans may no longer dominate the market today, but they’re better than ever and are worth your serious consideration. In general, here’s why:
Sedans run and handle better than SUVs and trucks. A major reason for this is that they are closer to the ground. This also means that they are more stable than heavy SUVs and less prone to tipping over. And because they’re lighter, they’re usually quicker off the line and have shorter braking distances. A heavy SUV may perform better in a crash, but a lighter sedan may have avoided the collision in the first place.
Sedans are more fuel efficient. Sedans are often hundreds of pounds lighter than SUVs. And they are much more aerodynamic – an important advantage for energy saving. Sedans can often beat an SUV by the equivalent of several miles a gallon. A midsize non-hybrid Honda Accord can get up to 30 mpg in city and highway 38, while a compact Honda CR-VA ranked 28 cities, 34 highways. (The two models have identical passenger mass.) CR-VAT It’s one of the best SUVs on the market, and its mileage is good. But Fit better yet.
Sedans cost less. The price difference between sedans and SUVs can run into thousands of dollars, and don’t forget the additional interest costs over the life of the vehicle. car loan. In 2020, before it was discontinued in the US, Ford FusionIts starting price is $23,170. A compact Ford Escape, which had similar passenger numbers, cost $1,700 more that year, at $24,885. The Escape in 2022 currently costs $26,760. The average transaction price for a new car today is over $45,000 – that’s partly due to high demand and tight supply, but also because expensive SUVs and trucks have dominated sales.
sedans with trunks, where you can keep your belongings safeClear your cabin and hide valuables from the bad guys.
Sedans have quieter cabins. The three-barrel design means that road noise from the rear wheels is isolated in the trunk, as opposed to the open cargo area of an SUV.
The sedan is nicer. Have you noticed SUVs that look a lot alike? It’s hard for designers to make their two-box body style special, that’s probably why we’re seeing a bunch of “coupe” convertible SUVs hit the marketalso known as the “floating roof” trend. The sedan format has been the basis of differentiation and variety car design in 100 years.
An imperfect sedan. It can’t always carry large items like SUVs (or scooters). Buyers often say they want a van or SUV because of its ride height and “command visibility” of traffic, and a sedan can’t deliver that. Although when many, if not most, of the vehicles around you are also raised, that perceived advantage is eliminated. Buyers also said they wanted a four-wheel-drive SUV, which many people in many parts of the country are buying for the sake of extreme efficiency. Few SUVs have ever actually gone off-road, and FWDs perform admirably in the snow. But if AWD is really needed, many sedans offer it.
The future of sedans
The public can still return. For one thing, the switch to electric powertrains could result in intriguing new designs. EV powertrains take up less room, so they free up greater interior passenger volume. In addition, high gas prices and the scarcity of more mainstream vehicles can give buyers a second look at sedans.
And, as the current generation of car buyers ages, market research suggests why so many automakers are going against market trends and keeping sedans in their lineups. SUV buyers tend to be a bit olderand a 2019 Nissan study found that Millennials are extremely interested in sedans. It seems that no one wants to drive what their parents drove. But they may only be able to drive the kind of car their grandparents used to love.
Read more: It’s time to get rid of the term ‘intersection’
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