Switzerland is one of the world leaders in SUVs

SUVs (Sport Utility Vehicles) accounted for more than half of all new vehicle registrations in Switzerland in 2024, or 55.7%. These are the results of the SUV 2025 report. This report annually publishes the evolution of the share of SUVs among all new registrations in Switzerland. Comparis also includes SUVs as off-road vehicles (e.g., the Toyota Landcruiser), pickup trucks (e.g., the Ford Ranger), and crossover SUVs (e.g., the Volkswagen T-Cross). Switzerland is thus among the leaders of a global trend: depending on the source, the share of rugged lifestyle vehicles among all cars sold in 2024 was between 45 and 54%. To the graph (embed code attached)

Position changes on the podium: BMW leads

Last year, the German car manufacturer BMW's SUVs (X and iX models) were in the lead, with a 9.5% share of all SUV registrations, or 5.3% of all new cars. Last year, BMW was in third place. In 2024, Audi (Q series) will be in second place with a share of 8.9% of all SUVs and 5.0% of all cars. In 2023, Audi held the same number of first places. Škoda (second place the previous year) is in third place with a share of 8.6% of all SUVs and 4.8% of all new cars (Enyaq, Kamiq, Karoq, and Kodiaq).

Volkswagen's main brand is also not on the podium this year, ranking only fifth (7.6% of all newly registered SUVs and 4.2% of all new cars). Mercedes takes fourth place with its EQ series and the classic G-Class. This is despite both brands bringing the highest number of new cars to the Swiss market (Volkswagen in first place with a 10% market share and Mercedes in fourth with 8.5%).

The off-road icons Suzuki (15th), Land Rover (17th), Subaru (20th), and Jeep (22nd) follow far behind in the mid-tier rankings.

“It’s not just the subjective feeling of safety that makes SUVs attractive to many drivers. The elevated seating position is comfortable for both elderly people and families with children. That’s why we've seen a trend toward SUVs since the beginning of the millennium. The fact that almost all major brands now offer electric SUVs further fuels this development,” says Jean-Claude Frick, electromobility expert at Comparis.

An electric SUV only becomes more environmentally friendly than a combustion engine vehicle after two and a half years According to the expert, the SUV boom is problematic not only due to the increased space required, greater strain on road infrastructure, microplastics, and higher risk of injury to vulnerable road users. The common belief that an electric SUV is inherently eco-friendly is also problematic.

“In terms of environmental balance, electric SUVs only outperform combustion engine cars after several years of use. This is mainly due to the higher resource consumption during manufacturing,” explains Jean-Claude Frick. For example, with Switzerland’s current electricity mix (~14 g CO2/kWh), a BMW iX xDrive45 only offsets its higher production emissions after about 32,000 kilometers compared to a comparable gasoline car (BMW X7 xDrive40i) — that is, just under two and a half years with an average of 13,000 kilometers per year. Only after this period does the iX become more environmentally friendly than the gasoline SUV.

“Anyone looking to buy an electric SUV should carefully consider the battery size. That’s where the ecological footprint can really be reduced,” says Jean-Claude Frick. Example: over its entire life cycle, the aforementioned BMW iX xDrive45 produces 25% more CO2 emissions than the smaller BMW iX1 SUV and consumes 31% more raw materials for the battery. The 500-kilogram higher weight also leads to greater tire and brake wear, higher electricity consumption, and faster deterioration of road infrastructure. The smaller SUV offers the same comfort that typically motivates the purchase of an SUV.

A pricing policy with maximum effectiveness “In the end, of course, it's up to consumers to decide which vehicle they want to buy. But as with many things, price regulates sales. When it comes to heavy SUVs, tax-based incentives would certainly be the most effective,” explains Jean-Claude Frick. Thus, weight or CO2 emissions could be taxed as additional components, or a purchase price tax could be introduced. France, for example, has levied a purchase tax on vehicles weighing more than 1.6 tons since 2024. And London imposes a city congestion charge on large vehicles.

What is an SUV? SUVs (Sport Utility Vehicles) are characterized by higher ground clearance. Like off-road vehicles, they are designed for off-road use. However, unlike true off-road vehicles, they don’t necessarily require defined ground clearance or climbing capabilities. All-wheel drive is also not mandatory. They are therefore classified as regular passenger cars.

Methodology Comparis analyzed new passenger car registrations published by “Auto Suisse” since 2010. As SUVs are not officially categorized as a vehicle class, comparis.ch conducted its own classification.


Contact:
Jean-Claude Frick
electromobility expert
Telephone : 044 360 53 91
E-mail : media@comparis.ch
comparis.ch

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  Schweiz gehört weltweit zu den Spitzenreitern bei SUVs (news article in german on swiss-press.com)