It appears that American buyers have had their fill of SUV’s and are turning to more economical models in the face of soaring fuel prices. The ultimate SUV, the Hummer, could be the first casualty as General Motors is considering the brands future in the face of a 30% year on year decline in sales. Declining sales of other SUV’s and pick-ups have also caused GM to announce the closure of four plants that build the monster models.

Meanwhile rivals Ford are also feeling the SUV pinch, which has seen the popular F-150 pick-up lose its sales chart topping spot to the fuel frugal Honda Civic. Indeed in the first three months of the year, sales of basic compact cars such as the Toyota Yaris and Nissan Versa were up 36.7% while sales of SUV’s such as the Chevrolet Tahoe and Ford Expedition were down by just under 27%.

Significantly a survey of US dealers also found that 10% no longer accept an SUV or pick-up as a trade-in on a new car.