I think CUVs are getting better gas mileage as a result of the competitiveness of the market, but I don’t think CUV buyers really care about gas mileage. They were selling well before they got good gas mileage, and SUVs sold good in the US too with abysmal gas mileage. Hybrid sedans still blow any CUV out of the water on MPGs, and are often cheaper than non-hybrid CUV counterparts.

People just like the configuration.