In part I attribute it to higher safety standards. Doors act as crash shields for example. Not only have they become thicker over the decades, the higher the bo

In part I attribute it to higher safety standards. Doors act as crash shields for example. Not only have they become thicker over the decades, the higher the body part is the better they can protect the passengers as well. But I also think it's a design choice. People still love SUVs, even though they aren't any more spacious on the inside or practical than a regular station wagon. And huge windows just aren't that impressive, metal (and plastic) is. And even smaller models that aren't SUVs get the SUV look.