Are cars getting heavier? Kerb weight by decade
Beta Median kerb weight of new car generations by the decade production started. Beta: kerb weight is known for only part of our catalog, so every decade rests on a small sample - the table shows how many cars.
Key findings
- Median kerb weight of new car generations: 1,380 kg in the 1950s, 1,870 kg in the 2020s (+35.5%).
- The lightest decade was the 1960s, with a median of 1,145 kg.
- Beta - small sample: 19–218 generations per decade. We are adding kerb weights to the catalog.
Data table
| Decade | Generations | Median kerb weight | Average kerb weight | Heaviest | Heaviest: car |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 19 | 1,380 kg | 1,448 kg | 2,540 kg | Rolls-Royce Phantom V |
| 1960s | 38 | 1,145 kg | 1,154 kg | 1,896 kg | Pontiac SJ 428 |
| 1970s | 37 | 1,188 kg | 1,254 kg | 1,957 kg | Chevrolet Caprice II |
| 1980s | 23 | 1,430 kg | 1,480 kg | 3,400 kg | ZIL-41047 |
| 1990s | 37 | 1,455 kg | 1,496 kg | 3,559 kg | Hummer H1 I |
| 2000s | 96 | 1,510 kg | 1,556 kg | 3,000 kg | Hummer H2 I |
| 2010s | 218 | 1,613 kg | 1,674 kg | 3,275 kg | BMW X5 G05 |
| 2020s | 193 | 1,870 kg | 1,918 kg | 4,082 kg | Cadillac Escalade IQ I |
Methodology
For each generation we take its heaviest version (kerb weight in kg). Values outside 400–4,500 kg are excluded. Median, average and heaviest are shown per decade.
Passenger cars only: trucks, buses and vans are excluded (the same rule as our rankings).
Decades with fewer than 8 generations are not shown; the table gives the number of generations behind every figure.
Values come from the 1CARS catalog. Part of the specifications are extracted from our articles and not yet checked by an editor; obvious outliers are excluded. Figures describe the cars in our catalog, not the whole market.
Free to reuse under CC BY 4.0: credit “1CARS” and link to this page. License terms.