Industry analyst IHS Automotive has revealed in a recent-released report that Sports-utility vehicles (SUVs) and crossovers (CUVs) topped the US sales charts during the period between January and May 2014; thereby dethroning the traditional four-door sedan.

According to the IHS Automotive report, it is for the first time that SUVs and CUVs have outsold the sedan in the US market. Though the popularity of SUVs and CUVs has been on the rise in recent years, these vehicles had never before surpassed the sedan in terms of sales.

The statistics shared by IHS Automotive show that, in the January-May period this year, SUVs and CUVs accounted for 36.5 percent of new vehicles registered in the US. In comparison, sedans comprised 35.4 percent of the new vehicle registrations in the country. Pickup trucks bagged a distant third spot, accounting for 13.1 percent of the new vehicle registrations.

The figures also show that, back in the year 2009, sedans held a market-dominating 36.5 percent share in terms of retail registrations in the US; while SUVs and CUVs accounted for 31.4 percent share of the market.

Noting that the body style of SUVs and CUVs offers "a compelling option for the market," IHS Automotive's Tom Libby said that these vehicles "offer the combination of appealing features associated with both cars and light trucks, including a higher seating position, higher ground clearance, softer ride, more interior space, optional four-wheel or all-wheel drive, and towing capacity, among others.