Within a few weeks, the U.S. EPA will likely announce its plan to cut back the level of sulfur allowed in gasoline and to put all vehicles, from small cars to sport utility vehicles, under the same set of pollution limits. The plan, which would begin taking effect in 2004, is expected to remain close to a draft version released last April. But before you uncork the champagne, consider this: SUVs are now hitting the winding lanes and congested cities of Western Europe in unprecedented numbers. European sales of SUVs rose 26 percent last year and are expected to jump another 21 percent this year, four times the pace of the overall market in vehicles. However, the total number of SUVs likely to be sold this year in Europe, about 564,200, represents only 3.7 percent of the larger market.
