A-segment
 | This article appears to be slanted towards recent events. (April 2024) |
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The A-segment is the first category in the passenger car classification system defined by the European Commission. It is used for city cars, the smallest category of passenger cars defined.[1][2][3]
A-segment sales represented approximately 7–8% of the market in the 2010s.[4][5][6] It is approximately equivalent to the kei car class in Japan.
Definition
As of 2021, the A-segment category size spans from approximately 2.7 metres (110 in)[7] to 3.7 metres (150 in).[8]
Characteristics
Body styles for A-segment cars in Europe are always hatchbacks. But as crossovers gain popularity, new models may shift to resemble crossovers. Examples of crossover city cars include Suzuki Ignis and Toyota Aygo X. Other body styles such as sedans are not present in this segment because these shapes largely prove impractical at typical A-segment dimensions.
Current models
In 2020 the ten highest selling A-segment cars in Europe were Fiat Panda, Fiat 500, Toyota Aygo, Renault Twingo, Volkswagen Up!, Hyundai i10, Kia Picanto, Peugeot 108, Citroën C1 and Suzuki Ignis. [6]
100,000 - 200,000 sales (Best-Selling)
50,000 - 100,000 sales
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10,000 - 50,000 sales
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Sales figures in Europe
| 2022
rank |
Brand | Model | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | % change
(2021–2022) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fiat | Panda | 152,727 | 152,045 | 171,377 | 190,432 | 187,049 | 168,094 | 184,027 | 145,907 | 131,723 | 125,463 |  -5%
|
| 2 | Hyundai | i10 | 60,324 | 80,819 | 86,004 | 85,385 | 90,603 | 83,102 | 78,791 | 50,233 | 56,074 | 54,137 | -3.45%
|
| 3 | Kia | Picanto | 50,524 | 51,222 | 54,036 | 54,982 | 62,161 | 74,526 | 74,305 | 49,211 | 59,949 | 51,962 | -13.32%
|
| 4 | Dacia | Spring | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1,724 | 25,740 | 48,431[9] |  +88.15
|
| 5 | Renault | Twingo | 78,432 | 81,574 | 95,808 | 84,766 | 77,326 | 86,221 | 87,383 | 73,345 | 58,161 | 42,526 | -27%
|
| 6 | Volkswagen | Up! | 130,039 | 124,845 | 105,348 | 96,836 | 100,715 | 97,366 | 80,048 | 59,578 | 69,400 | 39,147 | -43.59%
|
| 7 | Mitsubishi | Mirage/Space Star | 13,978 | 22,008 | 29,547 | 27,386 | 30,016 | 36,105 | 38,002 | 35,703 | 32,662 | 27,964 | -14.38%
|
| 8 | Suzuki | Ignis | - | - | - | 1,602 | 41,166 | 43,774 | 38,091 | 37,568 | 42,206 | 20,826 | -50.66%
|
| 9 | Smart | Fortwo | 65,226 | 52,059 | 57,056 | 69,169 | 65,800 | 62,361 | 77,766 | 19,576 | 26,869 | 17,560 | -34.65%
|
| 10 | Toyota | Aygo | 57,002 | 68,874 | 86,085 | 84,321 | 84,588 | 92,187 | 99,510 | 82,711 | 82,820 | 9,646 | -88.35%
|
| 11 | Peugeot | 108 | - | 31,087 | 68,522 | 63,561 | 55,831 | 57,257 | 54,230 | 43,629 | 34,689 | 3,875 | -88.83%
|
| 12 | Smart | Forfour | 3,757 | 39,543 | 37,133 | 34,253 | 34,975 | 36,736 | 7,640 | 8,823 | 3,633 | -58.82%
| |
| 13 | Citroën | C1 | 56,722 | 53,518 | 63,695 | 62,537 | 53,292 | 52,020 | 49,900 | 40,578 | 35,897 | 3,559 | -90.09%
|
| 14 | Škoda | Citigo | 44,851 | 40,616 | 38,735 | 38,664 | 35,698 | 36,450 | 30,786 | 14,120 | 5,264 | 53 | -98.99%
|
| 15 | SEAT | Mii | 28,608 | 24,865 | 24,298 | 19,882 | 15,412 | 13,031 | 12,641 | 7,790 | 9,428 | 51 | -99.46%
|
| Fiat | 500 (2007) | 158,918 | 180,403 | 180,005 | 183,194 | 189,360 | 188,448 | 175,017 | 141,313 | 175,950 | - | ||
| Renault | Kwid | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 65 | 439 | - | ||
| Suzuki | Celerio | - | 894 | 25,393 | 26,465 | 23,417 | 20,836 | 13,275 | 2,035 | 16 | - | ||
| Citroën | C-Zero | - | - | 1,075 | 1,780 | 1,105 | 1,247 | 980 | 1,839 | 14 | - | ||
| Peugeot | iOn | - | - | 1,461 | 1,881 | 1,544 | 1,651 | 865 | 333 | 4 | - | ||
| Citroën | E-Mehari | - | - | - | 569 | 353 | 321 | 154 | 78 | - | |||
| Mitsubishi | i-MiEV | - | - | 714 | 484 | 447 | 325 | 171 | 57 | - | |||
| Opel/Vauxhall | Adam | 45,756 | 54,207 | 55,278 | 52,938 | 48,181 | 41,817 | 31,129 | 5 | - | |||
| Mitsubishi | Attrage | - | - | 352 | 168 | 114 | 62 | 88 | 1 | - | |||
| Opel/Vauxhall | Karl/Viva | - | - | 28,607 | 57,458 | 49,516 | 48,292 | 47,504 | 0 | - | |||
| DR Automobiles | Zero | - | - | - | 261 | 174 | - | - | 0 | - | |||
| Lancia/Chrysler | Ypsilon | 57,613 | 62,807 | 59,501 | 66,941 | - | - | - | - | - | |||
| Ford | Ka | 50,012 | 52,854 | 48,368 | 21,333 | 204 | 16 | - | - | - | |||
| Peugeot | 107 | 55,244 | 24,356 | 88 | 5 | 1 | 2 | - | - | - | |||
| Chevrolet | Spark | 37,268 | 10,138 | 479 | 96 | 2 | 3 | - | - | - | |||
| Suzuki | Alto | 26,821 | 26,876 | 5,710 | 4 | 2 | - | - | - | - | |||
| Suzuki | Splash | 15,563 | 13,232 | 2,663 | 11 | - | - | - | - | - | |||
| Opel/Vauxhall | Agila | 14,020 | 12,200 | 2,054 | 19 | 1 | - | - | - | - | |||
| Toyota | iQ | 5,462 | 3,593 | 292 | 172 | 2 | 3 | - | - | - | |||
| Tata | Indica | 345 | 52 | 3 | - | - | - | - | - | ||||
| Nissan | Pixo | 3,321 | 131 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |||
| DR Automobiles | DR1 | 21 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |||
| Daihatsu | Cuore/Charade | 5 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |||
| Volkswagen | Fox | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |||
| Abarth | 500 | - | - | - | - | 18,499 | 20,570 | 19,157 | - | - | |||
| Segment total | 1,208,431 | 1,229,352 | 1,332,146 | 1,330,438 | 1,266,832 | 1,261,062 | 1,230,556 | 814,974 | 856,129 | 448,833 | -47.57%
| ||
| Source | [10] | [11] | [12] | [13] | [14] | [15] | [16] | [17] | [18] | [19] |
Market share in Europe
| Year | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021[18] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share | 8.1% | 8% | 7.7% | 6.8% | 7.3% |
2019 - In 2019, sales of minicars were down 2% compared to a total market gain of 1% which means this segment now makes up 7.7% of the total European car market at 1.21 million sales, down from 8% in 2018. And with margins on minicars under pressure due to increased costs to comply with stricter safety and emissions standards, manufacturers are scaling back investments in to minicars or switching to an EV-only strategy. [5]
In Italy, A-segment cars represented 16.4% of car sales in the first half of 2019.[20]
2020 - European sales of minicars were down by a third in 2020, which translates to nearly 400,000 fewer sales and means the segment loses market share as the overall market is down 24%. As a result, this segment now makes up 6.8% of the total European car market, down from 7.7% last year. And their share is expected to shrink further in coming years, as manufacturers are pulling out of this segment or switching their models to EV-only. This is a result of increasing costs to comply with stricter safety and especially emissions standards, which makes minicars nearly unprofitable, especially considering that for most models from European brands this is the only market. [6]
Market share in other countries
In the United States, minicar segment cars represented 0.5% of the market share.
In 2020 the highest selling minicar segment cars in the U.S. were the Chevrolet Spark, Mitsubishi Mirage and Mini Cooper.[21]
In India, historically the A-segment cars had the highest sales. Sales have been in decline in recent years,[22] falling from 70,000 sales per month in 2014 to 47,000 sales per month in 2016.[23]
As of 2019, several A-segment cars had successes outside Europe, such as Hyundai Grand i10, Honda Brio, Kia Picanto, Tata Tiago, Toyota Wigo, Suzuki Celerio, Suzuki Wagon R, Suzuki/Maruti Alto, Ford Figo, Smart ForTwo, Citroën C1, Peugeot 108, and modern Fiat 500.
See also
References
- ^ "European classification for vehicle category, based in UNECE standards". European Alternative Fuels Observatory. Archived from the original on 12 December 2019. Retrieved 10 March 2019.
- ^ Patton, Phil (28 March 2005). "AUTOS ON MONDAY/Design; Little Cars in the Big Apple: Still Only a Good Idea". The New York Times. Retrieved 2 March 2010.
In Europe, the "city car" is a well-understood concept
- ^ Ruppert, James. "Motoring: The City car to be seen in". The Independent. Archived from the original on 6 November 2012. Retrieved 1 March 2010.
(City cars) are meant to be cheap, small, easy to park and yet practical, with good manners on the open road
- ^ "European sales 2018 Minicars". www.carsalesbase.com. February 2019. Retrieved 8 February 2021.
- ^ a b "European sales 2019 Minicars". www.carsalesbase.com. February 2020. Retrieved 15 July 2020.
- ^ a b c "European sales 2020 Minicars". www.carsalesbase.com. February 2021. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
- ^ "Smart fortwo 2015 dimensions". automobiledimension. Retrieved 14 October 2024.
- ^ "Toyota Aygo X dimensions, boot space and similars". www.automobiledimension.com. Retrieved 2024-10-14.
- ^ "Dacia Spring Sales Figures". www.goodcarbadcar.net. Retrieved 2024-10-14.
- ^ "European sales 2013 Minicar segment". www.carsalesbase.com. February 2014. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
- ^ "European sales 2014 Minicar segment". www.carsalesbase.com. February 2015. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
- ^ "European sales 2015 Minicar segment". www.carsalesbase.com. February 2016. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
- ^ "European sales 2016 Minicar segment". www.carsalesbase.com. February 2017. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
- ^ "European sales 2017 Minicar segment". www.carsalesbase.com. February 2018. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
- ^ "European sales 2018 Minicar segment". www.carsalesbase.com. February 2018. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
- ^ "European sales 2019 Minicars". www.carsalesbase.com. February 2020. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
- ^ "European sales 2020 Minicars". www.carsalesbase.com. February 2021. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
- ^ a b "2021 Best Selling Subcompact Cars In Europe (All Models Ranked)". www.goodcarbadcar.net. 26 April 2022. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
- ^ "2022 European Vehicle Sales Rankings – Every Vehicle Ranked By Sales Volume". www.goodcarbadcar.net. Retrieved 2024-10-14.
- ^ "Car market share in Italy from January to June 2019, by segment". www.statista.com. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
- ^ "US car sales analysis 2020 – Minicars". www.carsalesbase.com. February 2019. Retrieved 8 February 2021.
- ^ "India: A-segment cars biggest market share loser, compact SUVs leading gainer". www.ihsmarkit.com. 14 June 2016. Retrieved 15 December 2018.
- ^ "Segment shift: Indian car buyers now prefer premium". www.carwale.com. 14 April 2017. Retrieved 15 December 2018.
- ^ "Case No COMP/M.1406 - Hyundai / Kia: Regulation (EEC) No 4064/89 Merger Procedure: Article 6(1)(b) Non-opposition" (PDF). Office for Official Publications of the European Communities. 17 March 1999. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
- ^ 40 CFR 600.315-08