Sensible downsizing

摘要

Why is the new model always bigger than the old one?' commented my wife recently. We were spending a week with the current Volkswagen Polo and I remarked that it was as large as the original Golf that we had owned. Of course, upsizing is a good point-of-sale incentive and is nothing new. However, particularly in the UK, there is also a counter-trend developing for both fleet and private buyers to downsize - the shrinking upper medium sector bears testimony to this. It makes sense too, with increasing traffic congestion and rising fuel costs enhancing the appeal of the latest offerings one sector down. It was the Rover 25, followed by the Skoda Fabia, which introduced us to the four metre long, B-segment super-mini. With the new Fiat Punto about to follow suit, this trend is now firmly established in both conventional hatchbacks and their taller MPV-style derivatives (see the June 2005 issue for an assessment of three of these loftier contenders). So are we reaching the stage in Europe where many smaller families' needs for sufficient interior space, good driveability and lower costs, can be accommodated within a four metre hatchback?