by Nick Parat

KARL LAGERFELD’S Hummer on Rue Saint-Honoré, Paris. Photo Olivier Zahm

Will 2011 be the beginning of the end for the SUV in Europe? Well, let’s just say it isn’t looking too good for sports utility vehicles in Paris. The city of lights recently announced that is has begun measures to curb the use of gas-guzzlers in the city center by 2011-2012.

"I'm sorry, but having a sport utility vehicle in a city makes no sense," said Denis Baupin, an environmental official in the mayor's office, in an interview with RTL radio.

But what if you live in Paris and already own an SUV? In that case, Baupin's advises you to, "sell it and buy a vehicle that's compatible with city life.” Sorry Karl.

And Paris is not alone in its anti SUV march. Lyon, Grenoble and Aix-en-Provence are three other French municipalities that are following suit by restricting all gas-guzzlers and old diesel cars from city centers. The new laws are expected to be in effect in late 2011, or early 2012.

According to Environment Ministry officials, the cities are still deciding on the details of the ban - what types of cars will be affected, which neighborhoods, what hours of the day and what periods of the year.

But the ban will take place and it will be closely monitored by other European cities that are desperately looking for solutions to their pollution problems. London and Berlin already have "low emission zones," with varying restrictions, but not on the scale that Paris and the other three French municipalities are proposing.