It is true to suggest that most modern cars have grown in one or more dimensions over the years. Vehicle safety impositions and even manufacturing origins have created the largest increases but go some way towards explaining why some car park slots are no longer sufficient for certain makes and models.
To be fair, some cars have reduced their kerbweights significantly by way of introducing high-strength steels in specific areas and others, like Suzuki and Mazda, have been pursuing a ‘lightness equates to efficiency’ model that has provided them with market benefits. Status has a major impact on vehicle dimensions but increased safety standards have insisted that flimsy machines have been all but eliminated from our roads.
