Australia’s Love of Big Vehicles Comes With Big Costs

The findings come as the government prepares to introduce new fuel-efficiency rules for the automobile market.

Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia on Dec. 22, 2021. Mohammad Farooq/AFP via Getty Images

Australian households spend more than $450 (US$296) a week on private transport—and as much as $563 in one capital city—as prices in the sector continue to rise, a report shows.

But consumers’ choice of vehicles could be the major factor in accelerating price rises, with large SUVs and utes soaring in popularity and costing significantly more than the passenger cars they replace.