Volvo, the safety guru of the car industry, does not market its four-wheel-drive systems as safety features. Indeed, it can, and has been, credibly argued that the real effect of four-wheel drive is to create a false sense of security in the driver and therefore merely raise the speed at which he or she finally flies off the road.
You will, by now, have me marked down as an anti-SUV zealot but, in fact, I am anything but. Indeed I only own two cars, one of which is a Land Rover.
It's all about context. Regular browsers will know that I also run a Volvo XC90 as part of 4Car's long-term fleet and, because I split my life between town and country, I am, I hope, able to put things in some kind of perspective.
In the middle of nowhere, where there is no public transport, frequently icy or mud-strewn roads and farmers' fields instead of car parks, the Volvo has no problem at all justifying its existence. In fact, it's in its element. It's always full of people, because you have to drive everywhere, so car-sharing is endemic - and one large Volvo with seven on board is much more environmentally friendly than using two normal cars. Moreover, when everyone else gets stuck in the snow, we keep moving. Plus, that MPV-like driving position has real advantages because, unlike in town, there are hedgerows to see over: that is a genuine safety advantage. Journeys are long,too, so there's actually a chance you'll get reasonable fuel consumption.
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| SUVs begin to make sense in truly atrocious conditions |
But in town and for all the reasons outlined above, it feels about as at home as a walrus on a greyhound track.
SUVs have their place. If you have things to tow, truly adverse rather than merely damp conditions to negotiate or if you buy one with seven seats and then actually use them, they're great. But for those who buy them in the belief that either they'll look cool or in the mistaken belief that they're safer than in a normal car, the tide will turn. In fact, I think it may have already started.
