This was observed from the British magazine’s own data from vehicle road tests, and figures from between 2016 and 2023, or approximately one model cycle, showed that the mean average kerb weight of new cars increased from 1,553 kg to 1,947 kg.
The increases in weight have been attributed, in part, to the growing popularity of SUVs, many of which are heavier than their sedan or hatchback equivalents. Of the vehicles tested by the publication in 2016, 16 models were SUVs or crossovers, which had a mean average kerb weight of 1,722 kg, which was 169 kg more than the figure for all models tested that year.
The magazine says that the difference is reflected in the broader trend for cars it has tested since 2000, which reached the 1,700 kg average mark in 2018. This dipped to 1,675 kg in 2019 but has continued to increase since, reaching 1,879 kg in 2022 and 1,947 kg last year.
Vehicles that tipped the weighing scale at less than 1,000 kg, as tested by the magazine, were six in total in 2003, wit another six weighing between 1,000 kg and 1,100 kg, it said. In 2023, just one car was tested to weigh under the tonne, aOpen roads and closed circuits hold great allure for Mick Chan. Driving heaven to him is exercising a playful chassis on twisty paths; prizes ergonomics and involvement over gadgetry.