√Opinion: It’s time to bring boxy back

Trends are reversing, and we are heading back to the squared-off ’80s, baby.

The next-generation Lexus GX – which is slated for the Australian market for the first time – confirms the trend: the boxy SUV is back in a big way.

And I’m all about it.

While carmakers have generally been busy trying to out-modernise each other with swooping and slippery designs (while also supplying huge numbers of same-same SUVs), there’s a growing trend to run against that established grain.

Back in the day, almost all SUVs were four-wheel drives. And they were boxy: Nissan Pathfinder, Mitsubishi Pajero, Holden Jackaroo and Frontera and the often forgotten Ford Raider.

This was the relatively new crop of four-wheel-drive wagons, which espoused a stronger focus on passenger comfort and amenity.

The original Nissan Pathfinder was one of the early boxy SUVs to be sold in Australia.

Of course, the traditional options like the Nissan Patrol, Land Rover One Ten/Defender, Toyota LandCruiser and any Jeep of the time were all exceedingly box-shaped. These days, many of those angles have been softened.

There are a few mainstays, though, which have doggedly stuck to their guns and are currently enjoying huge levels of demand: the Mercedes-Benz G-Class, Suzuki Jimny and Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series.

It’s not just about looks, either. A boxy shape maximises how much interior space is available, and corresponding sharp angles help with visibility and tight manoeuvres. Pedestrian safety, efficiency and drag coefficients, however…

Over the years, the Nissan Pathfinder evolved into something completely rounded off and softer looking, in comparison to the first iteration.

Going into the 1990s, Kleenex-box-shaped options started thinning out on dealership floors. As trends come and go, they were being replaced by modern designs with softer lines, flowing curves and sporty pretensions.

Sales were great, as the tsunami of SUVs grew into something that dwarfed everything else. However, I still think there is an element of pushing a square peg into a round hole, when you’re trying to make an SUV look sporty and athletic.

As the pendulum swung in one direction for decades, yielding successful, self-contradicting monstrosities like the coupe SUV, it’s now coming back at a rate of knots.

New models like the Kia EV9 are bringing boxy back.

The Lexus GX is a bold change in direction from the luxury Japanese brand, with the forthcoming LandCruiser Prado likely to pick up similar styling.

Squared-off edges, a big flat windscreen and huge glasshouse ratio that’s reminiscent of the original Range Rover isn’t just a retro design. It’s modern, but with those classic boxy proportions.

The GWM Tank 300, Kia EV9, Ford Bronco, Jeep Recon and Ineos Grenadier are incoming new models with the same design philosophy of bringing boxy back.

Such models might not look so good cutting laps on the Nordschleife (or Melburgring, for that matter), but it’s still a good move.

I personally prefer the look of a boxy SUV, as long as it doesn’t come across as too contrived. But there are practical reasons as well. More interior storage space, no compromise of headroom for those in the back, and better overall visibility.

And anything that might sign the death warrant of a coupe SUV is a good thing, in my book.

The post Opinion: It’s time to bring boxy back appeared first on Drive.