Cars that have had the biggest growth spurts revealed

Just as human beings have evolved over the years – growing taller, wider and stronger than those that came before us – so too, has the humble car. And, we’re not just talking about all the fancy tech you get nowadays, like autonomous emergency braking (AEB) or Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

We’re not even talking about the fact you now get the choice of a petrol, diesel, hybrid, plug-in hybrid (PHEV), electric, hydrogen or even fuel cell-powered vehicle... it’s quite frankly mind-boggling.

No, no. We’re simply talking about the size of your chariot – something you could go outside and check with a tape measure right now. But don’t worry, you can stay right there, because we’ve done the hard work for you – or at least we’ve put it together in a fancy listicle – so you can find out how much your car has grown up.

With every new generation, vehicles tend to increase by minuscule – and often unnoticeable – amounts. But those millimetres can add up to be pretty big changes over time.

So, without further ado, here are the biggest growth spurts over the years, courtesy of comparethemarket.com, who has compared the wheelbase, length, width and height for each generation of car since launch. But, before we start, it’s worth noting that the research company has only selected vehicles from popular car-makers, so it fails to mention how the humble MINI has gained almost a metre (928mm) in length and 330mm in width since the very first Leyland arrived in the late 50s, despite the fact it’s also now owned by BMW – but let’s ignore that for this exercise.

In first place, it’s the almighty Volkswagen Golf.

When it first arrived in 1974 to replace the Beetle, the three-door Mk1 Golf hatch measured up at 3705mm in length. Since then, it’s gained more than half a metre – 579mm to be exact – now measuring 4284mm from nose to tail in all-new Mk8 form.

It’s also gained a tonne of technology over the decades, and while it’s not the best-selling small car in Australia, it is the best-selling car overall in Europe, which is pretty impressive.

Coming in second spot, the Land Rover Range Rover has also gained some length, growing an extra 554mm from end to end between 1969 and 2012 (current fourth-gen). The big luxo SUV now sits at 4999mm, which, for reference is just a few millimetres more than the outgoing Toyota LandCruiser 200 Series (4990mm).

Winning bronze for the ‘model length increase’ awards is the Blue Oval brand’s Fiesta.

When the compact hatch initially launched in 1976, it measured up at 3565mm in length. More than four decades on, the Ford Fiesta has grown 475mm longer, now at 4040mm.

Other models worthwhile mentioning, include the Vauxhall/Opel Corsa (+438mm) which isn’t sold in Australia, the Vauxhall/Opel Astra (+372mm) and the BMW 3 Series, which has grown 354mm between 1975 and 2018.

Elsewhere, Toyota’s micro Yaris has gone from 3615mm (in 1999) to 3940mm today, representing a 325mm increase. The Mercedes-Benz C-Class has also gained length (+246mm), as has the Volkswagen Polo (+218mm), Ford Focus (+203mm) and Audi A3 (+185mm).

The Nissan Qashqai SUV has grown the least – with an increase of 110mm – but has also only been around since 2006.

The Vauxhall/Opel Corsa has gained the most width over the years, with an extra 233mm on board since it first went on sale in 1982.

If the name isn’t familiar, the Corsa was also sold under the Holden Barina nameplate in the early noughties and is the same size as the VW Polo, Toyota Yaris and Ford Fiesta.

Today, the European supermini is 1765mm from side to side (and 4.60m in length), compared to the 1.53m it measured up at in the 80s.

The Bavarian carmaker's popular 3 Series has also grown significantly wider throughout its decades on sale.

Today, the 3 Series has grown 217mm wider since the first-gen E21 Coupe launched in the mid-70s. Now measuring up at 1827mm from mirror to mirror, the current 3 Series – which is also our 2019 carsales Car of the Year – has come a long way since 1975.

Just as it’s grown in length (see above) over the years, the British Land Rover Range Rover has also widened its hips.

When it launched in 1969, the first Rangie ‘Classic’ arrived with a modest width of 1.78m. Now seen as more of a status symbol for the well-to-do than the proper off-road wagon it once was, the Range Rover’s dimensions – like its celebrity status – have increased over the years and today, the SUV is 1984mm wide (+203mm).

Plenty of other models have grown in the width department too, including the Volkswagen Polo which is up 194mm and the next-size-up VW Golf, which has had 179mm added to its hips since 1974.

The Vauxhall/Opel Astra is 173mm wider, followed by the Ford Fiesta (+167mm), Ford Focus (+125mm), Mercedes-Benz C-Class (+100mm) and Toyota Yaris (+85mm). Audi has also fattened up its A3 small car since 1996 (+81mm) as has Nissan with its Qashqai (+41mm).

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