Why sedans are a sign of rebellion against SUVs

The reign of crossovers and SUVs as the cool cars of choice in Europe and the U.S. is about to come to an end, automotive executives say.

That’s because young customers are poised to rebel against the high-riding models in favor of sleek sedans to avoid being like their parents.

“The sedan is the middle finger of the future,” Nissan Senior Vice President for Global Design Alfonso Albaisa told Automotive News Europe at the Tokyo auto show last week. “It’s the tattoo of the future.”

Ivan Espinosa, who is a Nissan vice president for global product strategy, told ANE at the show that the automaker is seeing data that shows young people are "bored" with SUVs, making them more open to owning a sedan.

Said Albaisa: “Half of their decision is reactionary.” He added that since the industry is not in a position to invent a brand new body style people will “jump back to something that was never bad."

Separately, Volvo CEO Hakan Samuelsson is bullish about sedans' future. He thinks they will benefit from increasing pressure to slash tailpipe emissions around the world.

“People who are interested in longer range cannot ignore that lower riding, more aerodynamic cars are better for this,” Samuelsson told ANE earlier this month. “Therefore, I wouldn't be surprised if those market forces cause a comeback for smaller sedans, especially if you don't need the size of an SUV.”