With the rise of EVs, we’ve talked before about how the word “frunk” is becoming part of our vocabulary, yet while this change is happening there’s another historic shift occurring within the automotive world.
Cars with traditional trunks are disappearing. The Chevy Malibu is the last gasoline-powered American sedan you can buy with one, and it’s going off to live with its SS454 great uncle up in the sky very soon. The shift to crossovers has relegated the traditional trunk-equipped sedan to a small minority of vehicles, and even most of those have such sharp “fastback” rooflines that it’s only a matter of time before they’ll finally end up with the hatchbacks anyone can see they desperately need.
Hot take: I think the sedan has not breathed its last. I do, however, think that in the future it’s going to be very different, and I’m not entirely happy about where I think it might go.
Give ‘Em The Boot
It’s sort of hard to believe how long cars have had trunks. The whole idea seems to date back to cars from a hundred years ago with an added-on box stuck to the rear of the passenger compartment for luggage; car design seemed to just integrate that into the basic form of postwar cars and it just stuck.
From a logical standpoint, a two-box shape vehicle can hold so much more than a three-box, yet there are benefits to a traditional trunk which people still like. Anything you put in there is protected from prying eyes. Smelly wet golf clubs won’t spread their odor into the passenger compartment. Road noise from the rear tires is typically cut down. Your Uber driver can stuff luggage in there without giving you a chill that an open SUV hatch would.
Back in the seventies, hatchbacks were briefly a popular thing until manufacturers released versions of the same cars with traditional trunks that just cleaned up in the sales department. General Motors famously offered hatchback-looking sedans (that weren’t hatchbacks at all) which the public soundly rejected; once they put normal-looking trunks on the back instead sales skyrocketed.
After launching the three-door hatchback, Honda later offered a notchback four door Accord. This thing was an instant, runaway success that dealers marked up to absurd levels; it would ultimately outsell the hatch and push it out of the lineup a decade later.
At about the same time, Volkswagen stuck a trunk onto the back of the world-beating Golf/Rabbit and called it the Jetta. Like the Accord, it eventually put paid to the hatchback models that spawned it.
History doesn’t always repeat itself, but it seems to happen just when you least expect it to, and in ways you wish that it didn’t.
Trunkenstein
Car design seems to be influenced by functional advancements (like aerodynamics) as much as pure aesthetic trends (tailfins, those stupid weird shapes on “C” pillars of current cars) in a desperate effort to be “different”. Sometimes it’s a bit of both. If you look at the way pickups and crossovers are used today, as well as how they tend to appear very similar, that points to a possible odd trajectory in their future.
First, let’s look at most pickups you see on the road today (at least in urban areas). The vast majority keep it classy by having the cargo bed totally covered. At the same time, most crossovers provide a “privacy” roll-out cover that’s almost always closed to hide the contents from passers-by. This all points to a desire for making a more secure area for cargo in these vehicles, but it’s not like you’d make a pickup with a regular trunk in back, right? Who would even think of doing that? Brazil, apparently. Ford trucks in this South American nation were subject to some very bizarre modifications from independent contractors.
From 1979 to the late eighties, Ford of Brazil sold the F-1000; this was essentially a Fifth Generation 1967-72 American Ford F-series reborn with odd attempting-to-look-updated trim details (c0mposite headlights! grey lower cladding! black window trim!). Coachbuilder SR Veículos Especials made this already bizarre machine even stranger by converting it to the F-1000 Deserter SR XK. At first glance, the Deserter looks like an AI image created from typing in the wrong prompts, but it’s a real vehicle. That’s a car-like trunk lid stuck on the back over the short bed.
For whatever reason, they didn’t make one or two Deserters and then had to crush them out of shame. No, they must have found enough takers that later another outside fabricator named Tropical Cabines took a big Ford F-250 truck, chopped the tail, and added a trunk lid and taillights that appear to have been taken off of a Focus sedan. Once again, I don’t know how many Ford F-250 Tropiclassics were actually created, but the answer appears to be “a hell of a lot more than you would think”.
Surprisingly, there were some “trunked” trucks and crossovers sold here in the US many years back, though they didn’t catch on. The funky two-seater Suzuki X-90 featured a trunk, and earlier generations of the Subaru Legacy Outback offered a standard sedan version alongside the much more popular wagon.
Naturally, this was a few decades ago, and much has changed in that time; the term “crossover” didn’t even exist back then. Also, back in the nineties, people would likely find it unthinkable that anyone thirty years later would be drawn to a jacked-up sort-of-truck “coupe” with a fastback for no particular reason, yet here we are. People actually buy these:
Why do people put these strange-looking conveyances in their driveways? My guess is that they’re trying to escape the “station wagon” feel of a typical SUV and somehow appear different. If that’s the case, will trunk-backed crossovers be next? I had to get a glimpse of just how bad this could be. Get ready for some Sport Utility Sedans, or SUS; I can’t think of a more appropriate name in this case.
Trunk In The Junk
We could certainly search for various SUVs or crossovers that might, maybe, lend themselves best to the add-a-trunk treatment. On the other hand, we could just get whatever utes I can find pictures big enough to Photoshop and proceed. Let’s absolutely do the latter.
The Nissan Rogue fits the “average crossover” wallpaper appearance norm pretty well, so it’s a good one to start with. We’ll lower the roof a bit over the tops of the doors, move the rear backlight forward, and somehow try to make this thing work. Taillights have to move down lower on what is now the trunk lid, and I’ve increased rear overhang just slightly.
Whoa, the Toyota Grand Highlander “sedan” looks a bit odd, but then again with that massive grille and blocky fenders, it’s not like you’re ever going to turn it into a Series III XJ6 any time soon. The extra mass of the rear cargo area on the standard Highlander sort of helps balance the heavy front end and…nah, you’d need a two-story building on the back of it to “balance” out that big face. Honestly, the grille-for-days part of this thing is far more objectionable than the roofline ever could be. Woof!
When I think “Buick” I always see a sedan. I know they’re trying desperately to dispel the image of a handicapped tag hanging from the mirror in a Cracker Barrel parking lot, but if there’s any brand that could use cars with trunks it seems like Buicks would be first in line to get fitted with one. Let’s try one of the little sport-utes, the Envision (full disclosure: such is my disinterest that I had to go back to the website twice to remember what these things were called). More overhang, moved the backlight, lowered the roof. I didn’t even move the taillights:
Here the larger (and soon to be replaced) Enclave gets the same treatment; the fender bulges work surprisingly well. I mean, it still looks ridiculous, but better than I expected, like the equivalent of a fender bender and not a near-fatal car wreck.
Yes, I’ll stop now, but you get the idea. I actually spared you from a few that were even worse. You’re welcome.
Get The Trunk Out Ma Face
Years ago, our parents saw someone with slightly flared jeans, and then within months some of them were wearing pants that made them look like elephants. Dynasty came on around your bedtime; your mom watched it religiously and weeks later she was wearing blouses that made her look like an American football player. The quest for the “next big thing” and “being different” can take us in odd directions.
Look, I don’t like this any more than you do, but at some point buyers will hanker for a vehicle that isn’t a five-door SUV or a pickup truck. Minivans were once The Thing To Have but then over time became social albatrosses when they appeared everywhere; it’s easy to believe once-cool “outdoorsy” crossovers and SUVs will do the same thing. The escalating heights of new cars mean they can’t go back to a sedan with traffic towering above them (or so they think), so it’s possible that these odd Frankensteins could become a thing.
Prove me wrong. Please.
A Daydreaming Designer Realizes The Dream Of The SuperFrunk – The Autopian
Here Are Some Outside-The-Box Ways To Use The F-150 Lightning’s Enormous Frunk – The Autopian
A Pickup That Turns Into An SUV Via Your Phone: Our Daydreaming Designer Imagines How – The Autopian
As much as I am lamenting the trend of cars dying and everything becoming a CUV, I won’t cry over the death of the 3-box car with a separate trunk. Once I experienced the convenience and utility of a hatchback, there was no turning back. My last 4 daily drivers in order were a Mazda Protege5, Ford Focus SVT, Mazdaspeed 3, and finally the 2015 Mazda 3 I have today. All the driving dynamics of a car lower to the ground with the utility of an SUV/CUV. I love that my dog can ride in the hatch instead of getting hair all over the back seat.
So with that said, I really don’t get the point of an SUV with a trunk. It’s like the worst of both worlds.
BMW and Merc started this crap trend with these butt-ugly fastback CUVs. The logical progression is trunks because why the fuck not…
If the Toyota Crown takes off in the US, this trend WILL happen.
Daft Trunk is playing at my house, my house.
“Cars with traditional trunks are disappearing. The Chevy Malibu is the last gasoline-powered American sedan you can buy with one…” -The Bishop
I have Cadillac on the line. What should I tell them?
Some of those SUVs actually look better with a trunk. But they’re still unnecessary high for my tastes since I wouldn’t trust them off-road.
My hope is that we see SUVs slowly morph into and become station wagons. I feel like we’re seeing a little bit of that already with the EV6 and it’s Hyundai twin and a few others that are slipping my mind, so I hope that becomes a trend.
I happen to have an SUV (a Highlander) rental while our van is in the shop being repaired from an accident. I hate the thing. It’s huge and is terribly packaged inside. I lol’d at the amount of 3rd row legroom (pretty much none – my convertible offers more legroom) with the middle seats adjusted to offer the same amount of legroom as in our van.
I think SUV’s are a good compromise (every vehicle has a compromise somewhere), especially for people who can only afford 1 vehicle. You have a van and a convertible, a utility and fun vehicle for each occasion. I can’t afford 2 so I settled for a CRV which is better than my Mazda hatch in winter and camping (ground clearance, space), but less ideal for carrying a ton of people like a van (which isn’t as fun to drive as your convertible I’d wager). Each vehicle has pros and cons, and for someone like me, an SUV/CUV is better than even the mighty Camry wagon I used to have (ground clearance, again).
Everyone’s mileage will vary; Florida will likely place different vehicle values on things like ground clearance or AWD than Ontario.
This is certainly the yin to the Mustang article’s yang.
To quote Primus, they can’t all be zingers. 🙂
If these abominations one day become the only conveyances available to purchase, I’ll take the goddamn bus.
Perhaps this is the (il)logical next step in the passenger oriented, short bed pickup trucks? Add a 3rd row where the front of the bed would be, and modify the tailgate to an L shaped trunk lid? Add bragging rights for the “most clever, multifunctional” tailgate ever, as it can now cover the bed? If the tailgate had 180 degrees of rotation, it would even flip down into a large step (or even add more parts for full on stairs), so that people could access the 5 foot high floor of the bed/trunk to keep things nice and functional.
Jeep Wrangler sedan…. make it happen.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AMC_Eagle#/media/File:1983_AMC_Eagle_sedan,_front_right,_08-25-2023.jpg
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/AMC_Eagle#/media/File%3A1982_AMC_Eagle_SX-4_(31404336770).jpg
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/AMC_Eagle#/media/File%3A1981_AMC_Eagle_Sundancer_4WD_convertible_2014-AMO-NC-f.jpg
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/AMC_Eagle#/media/File%3A1983_AMC_Eagle_at_2012_Rockville_a.jpg
AMC Eagle was ahead of its time
The Buicks actually look pretty good, but the others must die by intense fire
“ Smelly wet golf clubs won’t spread their odor into the passenger compartment.”
Those old wool golf clubs were just horrible, weren’t they?
Probably, because car designers love making things less practical, so why not take the utility of an suv?
Toyota Crown has entered the chat.
Cars used to have names of people of stature like President, Champion, Commander, even Dictator and Scotsman (all Studebaker names BTW) but now there’s a vehicle called the Deserter? Do they all come with yellow stripes down their backs? I can’t imagine any veterans would ever be seen in them.
Senator, Commodore, Statesman, Admiral, Diplomat, Viscount, Marquis, Viceroy, Sovereign, Princess, Playboy, we really need to go back to that theme
Brandon.
…only available in dark grey with red laser headlights.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/71/1983_AMC_Eagle_sedan%2C_front_right%2C_08-25-2023.jpg/220px-1983_AMC_Eagle_sedan%2C_front_right%2C_08-25-2023.jpg
AMC Eagle has entered the chat…
Volvo launched a crossover saloon (sedan if you must) a few years ago and no one seems to have noticed.
In 2016 they unveiled the 40.1 and 40.2 concept cars, a saloon and an estate crossovers. https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/volvo/95377/new-volvo-v40-s40-and-xc40-previewed-by-401-and-402-concept-cars
One quickly became the XC40, the other came a bit later as the Polestar 2.
The Polestar 2 is a high riding saloon, but just gets noted as a normal saloon.
I was going to mention the Polestar 2 as an example of an SUS (or CUS?), but I recently watched a show in which one of the main characters drove one and learned that it is actually a hatchback. So it is really more of an X6, GLE Coupe class of vehicle.
Yes – The Polestar 2 is a hatch, but it sure looks like an AMC Eagle sedan.
Well I’ve learned something today, thanks both! I was sure it was a saloon. Stylistically I’d still argue it’s a crossover saloon/ SUS whatever.
Well into the interwar era the fashion was for cars to be raised up high on big wheels with coachwork reminiscent of horsedrawn carriages. Roads improved and extolling the machine became a trend (streamlining. Bauhaus, Italian Futurism, etc.), but it took quite some time for long, low and wide to take over.
And then the fascination with “ruggedness”, whether needed or not, kicked in, especially as capability (again, useful or not) became a luxury signifier. (I remember that car designers looking into the future in the early ’90s wrote about their visions inspired by cross-trainers and hiking boots.) The modern crossover really is nothing more than the old station wagon updated with new tech and jacked up to the height of an early-’50s sedan, but without enough headroom for a proper hat. And as the postwar era of longer, lower and wider made sense in a time when society collectively invested in infrastructure that allowed the “lower” to work well, the higher ride heights and aggressive cladding of today make sense now that the collective will to invest in anything seems to be gone and we’re all out there trying to defend our turf and screeching about what we deserve. I suppose that will change too, someday, but it will take a while for enough of us to die off for the social transition to occur and the aesthetic transition to follow. Until then it’s just funny to watch the bland sedan profile of the ’90s become the sexy and sporting impractical choice by default.
This article and as a result every commenter on it is cursed
Introducing the Buick Abomination
Looks like Toyota’s gotten a head start on this chunky sedan trend with the Crown.
Realistically, once younger Gen Z and Gen Alpha inevitably reject the CUV body style they’ll associate with being carted around in as children just as Millennials and Gen X rejected minivans and wagons respectively, a new popular body style will take hold. My guess is declining birthrates and a lesser need to cart children and their stuff around will bring forth the advent of raised 2-door coups, 3-door hatchbacks and the revival of the single/extended cab mid sized pickup truck.
The Buicks would actually look pretty good if they were quite a bit lower- basically sedans with actual sidewalls on the tires and an open(ish) greenhouse.
Perhaps someone should call either Emergency Services or a “State Hospital” for the mentally challenged….
Why?
Because I actually like the Envision with a Trunk. It really does look like a tall sedan.
I think it needs a crease or two removed from the ass end, but that may just be my poor mental state.
Most of us could use that, so it’s not just you.
A few of them would work ok with the removal of the CUV cladding and slightly smaller tires/wheels.
Considering many CUVs are built on the same platforms as sedans, undoing the stretch is really all that’s needed.
teamamericavomit.gif
I don’t like most crossovers, but man this is some chaotically evil shit right here. Well done, but also, ew… gross.
Sorry Bishop but these SUVs with Trunks are some of my favorite designs of yours. We truly different tastes. While the Big 3, seldom the paragons of new creative designs may have quit the Sedan world Toyota andHonda still make them and are cleaning up onthos fact. I wonder if car styles will duplicate clothing styles? We ridicule what our parents wore, just because rents, but our kids ridicule what we wear but go crazy duplicating what their grandparents wore. I predict as the hipster mindset grows we see every new driver wanting a Sedan. They are attractive functional and economical. I myself am weary of SUVs now that they are everywhere and hard to get into and park. If I had money I’d be buying the stock of car manufacturers who are holding onto a few samples of sedans. We may hate appliances here but the sheeple love them if they are cheap and reliable just add tech.
The F-1000 Deserter SR XK is just the real life Ferd FTeenThousand