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Switzerland: our favorite cars constantly:
VW. Nevertheless, Fiat, Skoda evolution –
Swiss favorite cars keep gaining volume – Switzerland: our favorite cars constantly
In Switzerland, cars have gained in size and mass in the past thirty years. Similarly, This evolution complicates urban cohabitation and slows down the drop in CO2.
VW Golf, Skoda Octavia and Fiat 500 have become much larger in recent years.
Carsized, animation: dam
The Swiss roads always welcome more vehicles. For example, Today, nearly 5 million cars tourism are registered. Consequently, And the latter keep growing up: they are longer and longer, wide and heavy. Nevertheless, Through a selection of representative models. Meanwhile, our overview illustrates the evolution of automotive dimensions, particularly marked since the 1970s and 80s.
VW Golf: Almost twice heavier
Volkswagen There remains the favorite brand of the Swiss. For example, with the golf as the most popular model. Furthermore, More than 170,000 copies are currently circulating in the country. Meanwhile, One of the first models, dating from 1980, was only 1.6 meters wide for less than 800 kilos. Moreover, In comparison, the 2019 model wins about half a meter in length, 18 centimeters in width and weighs almost twice as much.
Skoda Octavia: plus large et plus longue
Skoda Octavia occupies second place in the most popular models in Switzerland. Therefore, Here again, the evolution is obvious: the 2024 model is 10 centimeters larger and 19 centimeters longer than that of the year 2000.
Fiat 500: The weight has tripled
In fifty years, the mass of the Fiat Cinquecento has increased considerably. Meanwhile, The 2020 model is much more imposing than its ancestor of 1972: longer, wider, and almost three times heavier. Consequently, Note that the original model was only manufactured until the late 1970s, while the current version has been produced since 2007.
BMW 5 Series: as wide as an average parking space
The BMW 5 Series has also grown. In 1981, this upper medium range sedan weighed just over a ton. The 2024 version, longer, wider and higher, borders 1.8 tonnes. With its current width, it now occupies the whole space of a standard parking space.
Porsche 911: an increased length
The Porsche 911, a classic emblematic of the brand, has also taken volume. From 1989 to 2019, the model gained little by weight and width. On the other hand, its length has increased significantly.
Range Rover: from the large car to the colossus
With its Range Rover. the Land Rover brand shows that growth has no limits. Already imposing in 1985, the model became a real colossus in 2021: more than 2 meters wide and almost 2.5 tonnes.
VW Tiguan: rapid growth
The VW Tiguan is also much appreciated in Switzerland. It symbolizes the trend of recent years, marked by the development of SUVs (Sport Utility Vehicles). This model illustrates that rapid growth in a short time is possible. In seventeen years, he won more than 10 centimeters in length, while becoming slightly wider and heavier.
The consequences for pedestrians and cyclists
The constant increase in vehicle dimensions has concrete consequences. THE accidents Implying children or pedestrians are more often deadly. In town, space is particularly rare. Cars – often SUVs – overflow parking spaces. encroach on Zones reserved for cyclistsforces them to circulate on the road.
Besides a 1.83 m wide Skoda Octavia, a cyclist still has about 1.4 m of switzerland: our favorite cars constantly space. This calculation is based on the reference values of the Swiss association of road and traffic professionals. These standards apply to a “one -way traffic lane with longitudinal parking (Editor’s note: parallel to the side of. the road)».
The space becomes even more limited with the Range Rover 5, more than 2 meters wide. This vehicle does not hold on the reference park spaces and encroaches on the road. The cyclist finds himself almost stuck, with only 75 cm passing. When exceeding a car, it is recommended to respect a distance of at least 1 meter with the bike.
THE official data of the Federal Road Office. analyzed by the Federal Laboratory of Test of Materials and Research in a recent studyalso confirm the trend of cars to become larger and heavier. Over the past switzerland: our favorite cars constantly thirty years. passenger cars have earned an average of 20 cm in length and 12 cm in width, and their weight has increased by a third, now exceeding 1.7 tonnes.
Heavy and powerful cars reject more greenhouse gases. However. green traffic gas emissions from car traffic in Switzerland have recently decreased, largely thanks to the progressive electrification of new vehicles. However. the share of electric cars is progressing less quickly than elsewhere in Europe, and new Swiss cars emit more CO₂ than the European average.
Seven new out of ten cars are SUVs
The success of big cars slows down the decrease in emissions. Among the ten best -selling new models in Switzerland, seven are SUVs. This popularity is explained both by the prestige associated with these vehicles. by the switzerland: our favorite cars constantly high standard of living of the Swiss, which can afford more expensive cars than elsewhere. Buyers also appreciate their spacious cabin, the raised driving position and the feeling of security they provide.
The end of the SUV boom is not yet in sight for tomorrow. Greens. however, wish to slow down this trend by establishing a new tax On the SUVs, inspired by the Italian model. The national councilor Marionna Schlatter (the Greens/ZH) filed a motion in this sense in June. So far, all the initiatives to limit the SUVs had failed in Switzerland. But after the rejection of the extension of the highways during the vote last November. the environmentalists hope that public opinion could evolve.
Translated from German by Elisa Andrade.
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