At the same time, car manufacturers keep boosting the wide range of SUVs on offer, including the bulky, full-size models that have plenty of power under the bonnet. The makers like to emphasise the practical side of the roomy vehicles.
Well, it is a dilemma, but there is a way out. Cleaner electric SUVs are coming on stream, and frugal hybrid versions with an electric motor mated to a petrol or diesel engine are also available.
There are other aspects to keep in mind too. SUVs are some of the safest cars on the road, they offer loads of space to take other people along — which in turn saves fuel — and they can cope with whatever road conditions are thrown at them.
In Germany alone, more than a million SUVs and off-road vehicles were put on the road this year, which means that every third new car in Germany is in the off-road category.
So does that mean we are steering full-throttle into climate disaster, or even the end of the world as we know it?
Experts like Arthur Kipferler from the strategy consultancy Berylls in Munich try to put things into perspective. "There are now many vehicle models on the market that are SUVs in name only," he says.
"The only difference between them and their technically similar siblings is their more robust design, with all-round plastic protection panels and slightly more ground clearance. In many cases they don't even have four-wheel drive."
So why are people buying these cars at all? The raised seating position, which gives drivers a commanding view of the road, is often cited by buyers as a reason for investing in an SUV.
In general, SUVs appeal across the generations. Seniors appreciate the comfortable access and the increased seating position, while younger people like the sporting looks and strong motors.
SUVs tend to have more generous space for passengers and luggage, says Kipferler, and they are also great for carrying awkward-sized loads like furniture. This ability gives them an edge on old-school estate cars or utilitarian vans.
Naturally more space inside means a bigger car on the outside. This fact, combined with the perception that SUVs are all gas-guzzlers, is what upsets environmentalists.
Oddly enough, the SUV craze was preceded by the popularity of people-carrying vans, which also take up a lot of road space and use more fuel. They provoked nowhere near as much hostility as sports utilities.
Experts point out that the fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions of a regular SUV are only slightly higher than that of a typical estate car.
"Calling the SUV a climate-killing monster is just fake news," automotive expert Ferdinand Dudenhoeffer from Duisburg-Essen University tell Germany's largest regional newspaper, the Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung WAZ.
Manufacturers are also aware of the needs of buyers who want to drive an SUV but otherwise regard themselves as being environmentally conscious. It may sound like a paradox, but such owners will drive a SUV to the supermarket for the weekly big shop where they load up on natural foods.
Brands leading the way in cleaning up the SUV's image include some of the top German names. In the luxury class, even brasher models like the Audi Q5 and Q7, and the Mercedes-Benz GLE and GLA are getting greener.
Along with the BMW X3, X5 or Porsche Cayenne, these luxury high-riders can drive locally on electric power — more or less emission-free. Standard overall fuel consumption for these cars is often below two litres per 100 kilometres.
Meanwhile, Toyota is offering its C-HR in two hybrid versions and will soon pitch the RAV4 as a plug-in battery-electric. Kia has a hybrid, plug-in and a pure electric version in its Niro range while its sister model, the Hyundai Kona, is also combatting climate criticism with either hybrid or battery-electric drive.
PSA-owned Peugeot and DS are following a similar strategy and are now launching their DS3 Crossback and 2008 small SUVs with petrol, diesel or e-drive. "We leave the customers the choice and make the right offer to everyone, whether they appreciate traditional technology or want to drive into the new era," says Peugeot boss Steffen Raschig.
The Hyundai Nexo and Mercedes GLC are two of the four fuel cell-powered SUVs available worldwide. Harmless water vapour is the only tailpipe emission here.
