IN THE past, the choice was between large luxury cars or small economy brands. In 2014, one can have a small luxury car with equipment that was once the domain of the prestige sedans.
The small car is back to dominate world markets and hopefully the trend will catch on in the Middle East too.
Conventional wisdom indicates that bigger cars are safer.
This is becoming a fallacy as small and medium-size cars regularly achieve five-star rating in the Euro-NCAP safety tests.
Small GTs can also accelerate faster with more agility than the best luxury barges.
The latest technology can easily be fitted in an Audi A3 or a BMW 1 series as in a top-of-range model of the same brands.
Ford can fit its SYNC system in a Fiesta as well as cruise control, air conditioning, power windows and premium audio and navigation systems.
For the up and coming generation, a small car is cool.
It is easier to park and drive, cheaper to run and grants its user some environmental credit no big car can ever give. In a small car you can have performance, safety, technology and connectivity.
Most small cars can be classified as “green cars” as they use less fuel and produce less CO2 emissions.
Modern small cars are also big on comfort and can transport four adults with ease.
A small car may make less sense in the GCC where fuel is cheap and large luxury cars are the norm, yet the trend is spreading from Europe to the US and other markets.
The sooner this trend is adopted in the Gulf the better for the regional environment.
It is the young generation who are likely to take this trend forward.
Governments too should encourage use of small cars, as a barrel of oil saved is a barrel exported at world prices.
— Adel Murad is a senior motoring and lifestyle journalist, based in London.
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Trends in 2014: Smaller is better!
