It seems that death of the Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) has been exaggerated.

The popularity of the SUV, a segment created by Toyota in the form of RAV4 back in the 1990s, and emulated by nearly every other company, is gaining popularity in China, the Middle East and even in Europe where petrol is at two dollars a liter.

This trend was highlighted in the recent Beijing motor show where the hottest segment was the compact SUV with a sporty twist.

To illustrate the change, in China, SUVs accounted for four percent of the Chinese market in 2000, while the so-called D-segment sedans, often used to chauffeur senior corporate and government officials, had 47 percent of the market, according to data from Auto Foresight Co.

But by last year, SUVs had captured 19 percent, while D-segment vehicles withered to 15 percent. SUVs will account for seven million units in China by 2020, more than triple the segment’s current size, GM predicts.

The Beijing show was a carnival of crossover introductions. Lexus introduced the NX compact crossover. Audi debuted its TT Offroad Concept.

Hyundai countered with its subcompact SUV ix25 concept, while Volkswagen unveiled a redesigned Touareg. And Citroen launched its DS 6WR, a China-dedicated SUV.

SUVs offer some advantages over normal sedans: The elevated position of driver and passengers; the feeling of safety for seeing the road ahead clearly; and the touches of luxury including electric, heated seats and surround cameras.

On the face of it, SUVs go against the trend of more environmentally friendly vehicles; they are heavier, use more fuel and produce more emissions. However, it is what consumers want and companies can’t produce them fast enough.

In the near future companies may need to give more focus on drivetrain development and produce lighter SUVs that run on hybrid or plug-in hybrid power in order to satisfy both consumers on one hand and environmental requirements on the other.

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Adel Murad is a senior motoring and business journalist, based in London.

Email: [email protected]