At this point in a magazine of this nature, it would be fair to expect some commentary regarding incidental products and accessories which enhance the usefulness of the SUV you have chosen.
The truth of the matter is there is a vast array of accessories from an equally diverse number of suppliers. There are some essentials however, which every SUV is going to require sooner or later, tyres, batteries and – because SUVs should be going on holidays – external charging solutions.
Tyres are very much a question of personal preference.
Yes, you can go with the tyres the manufacturers specify, but remember; there are only a handful of automakers who can say their vehicles are proven on New Zealand roads.
And there are very few auto distributors in this country who specify tyres for their vehicles. Most will take what’s been given, which means they tyres on your SUV – while good – may not be as well suited as others in the long run.
Do some research, talk to tyre professionals you can trust and make sure your tyres get the routine care and maintenance they need.
As to batteries, the chances are good that you won’t need to look at batteries on a new vehicle for a while, but for those who are buying near new SUVs, checking out the batteries and the vehicle charging system is a smart move.
And like the tyres, you do have to be a little careful when replacing batteries, making sure the posts are the right way round and ensuring your battery has the right CCA (cold cranking amp) rating.
As far as the external charging systems go, this is still something SUV buyers have to look into themselves. It is becoming more of a trend from automakers to provide supplementary power systems for utility vehicles, but not so much the SUVs – which may be a clue as to what we will see for SUVs in the future.
We can see something of this trend starting already with the all-electric SUVs. Some of these offer V2L or Vehicle 2 Load and this is something which changes the way we view our vehicles.
They are no longer mere methods of transport, rather they are mobile energy storage and distribution systems since V2L allows the electric vehicle battery to power small appliances.
Presently, it’s something of a novelty to power a hair drier, mixer, toaster or kettle from your SUV, but V2L can be applied on a much grander scale.
You could for instance, charge your SUV EV at night when electricity costs less and then allow the SUV to power the home’s requirements during the day when grid energy costs more.
It would seem there is plenty of scope for the SUV to develop further which means the long-standing love affair New Zealanders have with the SUV shows no signs of cooling off.
If anything, with an increasing number of EVs boosting the conventional SUVs, the romance is heating up which means there are greater opportunities for product and accessory providers to capitalise on a growing automotive market segment.
