Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs) are enjoying their heyday.
According to the Korea Automobile Manufacturers' Association, the share of SUVs in total car sales for the period from January to April 2015 in Korea stood at 40.1 percent, a dramatic increase from 22.6 percent in 2010 and 34.0 percent last year.
Even in the United States, SUVs were sold more than sedans last year and this trend continued throughout this year.
In China where the sales growth of most of major car makers is slowing down, Great Wall Motors, a specialist SUV manufacturer, enjoyed more than a 30-percent growth this year.
As SUVs are emerging as a mainstream model of the vehicle market, major brands which focused on sedans are making forays into the SUV market. In other words, SUVs, once being selected mainly for their practical value, are becoming available in a wider option.
Against this backdrop, global car makers are engaged in ever-rising competition in the fast-growing premium SUV market.