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Let's get one thing out of the way. The average Singapore SUV will never climb a mountain. It will never ford a river, traverse a desert, or rescue stranded hikers from the wilderness. Its greatest off-road challenge is usually mounting the kerb outside a coffeeshop. And yet, Singaporeans absolutely love SUVs. Look around any HDB carpark, shopping centre, or school pick-up point and you'll see them everywhere. Compact SUVs, mid-size SUVs, seven-seater SUVs, electric SUVs and coupe SUVs that sacrifice practicality in the name of fashion. The obvious question is: Why? The answer isn't what you think The traditional argument is that people buy SUVs because they want to feel adventurous. That's probably true in countries where roads disappear into forests. In Singapore, however, most of us are never more than a few minutes away from a mall, a hawker centre, or an air-conditioned building. The real reason Singaporeans love SUVs is much simpler - we like sitting higher. That's it. Okay, not entirely, but it's a huge part of the appeal. The elevated driving position gives drivers a better view of traffic ahead, makes judging road conditions easier, and creates a feeling of confidence behind the wheel. Whether that confidence is justified while crawling along the PIE at 60km/h on the first lane is another matter entirely. Singapore roads secretly favour SUVs Despite what enthusiasts might say, Singapore isn't always the easiest place to drive a low-slung vehicle. There's the occasional multi-storey carpark ramp that looks like it was designed by a roller coaster engineer. There are steep entrance slopes into shopping centres. There are road humps, drain covers, construction zones, and carparks with enough sharp turns to qualify as a driving assessment course. SUVs handle all of these without drama. Most owners aren't thinking about ground clearance when they buy one. But they're certainly appreciating it when they don't hear an expensive scraping noise underneath the car. We buy cars for our lives, not our fantasies One of the biggest changes in Singapore's car market over the past decade is that buyers have become ruthlessly practical. A car is no longer just something you admire from your living room window. It's a tool. A family mover. A grocery hauler. A weekend escape pod. And, mind you, an SUV does all of these things remarkably well. The higher roof means easier access for elderly parents. The larger boot accommodates prams, luggage, bicycles, pets and enough FairPrice purchases to survive a long weekend. Even people who don't need the space often enjoy knowing it's there. It's the automotive equivalent of having a spare bedroom. You might rarely use it, but it's comforting to know you have it. The irony of the SUV boom Here's the funny part. Most SUVs today aren't really SUVs in the traditional sense. Many compact SUVs are built on the same platforms as hatchbacks and sedans, and a lot of them don't even offer all-wheel drive. In reality, they're slightly taller family cars wearing adventurous clothing. And that's perfectly fine, because buyers aren't shopping for off-road capability. They're shopping for comfort, practicality and versatility. Nobody is standing in a showroom asking, "Can this conquer a muddy jungle trail?" Instead, they're asking, "Can this fit a stroller, two suitcases and my mother-in-law?" Very different priorities. The EV revolution is making SUVs even more popular Look at the latest wave of electric vehicles arriving in Singapore and you'll notice something interesting. Most of them are SUVs. The reason is simple. SUV shapes make it easier to package large battery packs while maintaining generous interior space. Consumers like SUVs while manufacturers like selling SUVs. The result is a match made in automotive heaven. Or, more accurately, a match made in a showroom. So why do Singaporeans love SUVs? Well, simply because they fit modern Singaporean life. They're comfortable, practical, easy to drive, easy to live with and well-suited to everything from school runs to road trips into Malaysia. Do most SUVs ever leave tarmac? Absolutely not. But that's missing the point. Singaporeans don't buy SUVs because they're planning an expedition into the wilderness. They buy them because life's daily adventures are challenging enough. And if a vehicle can handle Tampines, Tuas, Woodlands, Marina Bay and an IKEA furniture run all in the same day, perhaps that's its own kind of off-roading. ~Julian

Every Singapore driver knows this conversation. "I'm coming down." Five words. Five lies. That’s because "coming down" could mean leaving the office, finding a handbag, finishing a bubble tea, taking the lift, or starting a Netflix episode before eventually appearing 15 minutes later. As a result, Singaporean drivers spend a surprising amount of their lives waiting. Outside schools, outside shopping malls, outside condominium drop-off points, outside MRT stations, outside practically everywhere! And while we may look like we're simply sitting in our cars doing nothing, the truth is far more interesting. The car has become Singapore's second living room The average Singaporean car owner pays a small fortune for the privilege of ownership. COE, road tax, insurance, parking and ERP all add up. So perhaps it's no surprise that many of us have started treating our cars like mobile living rooms. Waiting for someone often means enjoying a rare moment of peace. No colleagues, no family obligations and certainly no one asking where you've saved the latest PowerPoint presentation. Just you, air-conditioning and silence. For some people, that's worth almost as much as the car itself. We scroll. A lot Let's be honest. The first thing most Singaporeans do while waiting is reach for their phones. Ample things to do here – WhatsApp, Instagram, TikTok, news websites, car listings on Sgcarmart, more car listings. And then somehow back to car listings again. Entire used-car purchases have probably started because somebody had 10 spare minutes while waiting outside a tuition centre. Many drivers know more about cars they'll never buy than the cars they currently own. Me included. We secretly become professional people-watchers And it’s precisely while waiting in cars that us Singapore drivers realise that we possess a remarkable talent. We can identify a neighbour, colleague or relative from 100m away based solely on their walking style. Waiting in a car creates the perfect environment for observation. You notice who always runs for the bus. Who insists on carrying ten shopping bags at once. Who says they're leaving the office but clearly hasn't. Ah, it's not spying. It's research. At least that's what we tell ourselves. We eat meals we'd never admit to There's also a hidden culinary side to waiting. A surprising number of meals are consumed behind the wheel. There’s the quick curry puff before school pick-up, the potential chicken rice takeaway eaten in a shaded corner of a carpark, the kopi that somehow tastes better when enjoyed alone in a parked car. And amazingly, many Singaporeans have mastered the art of eating without leaving evidence. No crumbs, no stains and no suspicious smells. It's a skill developed through years of practice. The car becomes a mobile office For professionals, waiting time is productive time. Phone calls get returned. Emails are answered. Voice notes are recorded. Hell, entire business decisions are sometimes made from the driver's seat outside a shopping centre! The rise of hybrid work has only accelerated this trend. The modern Singaporean car is no longer just transport. It's a meeting room, office and quiet workspace wrapped into one. EV drivers have taken waiting to another level Electric vehicles have added a new twist. While charging, drivers often have 20 to 40 minutes to spare. Some work, some watch videos while some decide to grab a coffee. Others end up talking to fellow EV owners about charging apps, electricity costs and whether regenerative braking is the greatest invention since sliced bread. Charging stations are quietly becoming mini social hubs. A bit like a kopitiam, except everybody is discussing kilowatts instead of football. What waiting really says about Singapore Here's the funny thing. Waiting for someone is one of the few moments left when Singaporeans are forced to slow down. No rushing between appointments and chasing deadlines. No sprinting for the MRT and the bus. Just a brief pause in an otherwise hectic day. And perhaps that's why so many people don't mind it. What begins as five minutes outside a mall often turns into a moment of relaxation, reflection or harmless kaypoh observation. So the next time someone texts, "I'm coming down," don't get frustrated. Use the time wisely. Check your messages. Finish your coffee. People-watch a little. Browse a few car listings you definitely don't need on Sgcarmart, because if there's one thing Singapore drivers have mastered, it's making the most of waiting for someone who's supposedly already on the way. ~Julian