In the first half of 2020 the minicar segment manages to outperform the overall US car market, with deliveries down 21% compared to a 24% decline for the entire market. However, this is not a homogenous performance across the segment, with one nameplate in the black and all three others in the red by double digits. Thanks to a very strong first quarter, the Chevrolet Spark manages to sell more in the first half of 2020 than in the same period a year earlier.
The other three players in this segment see their sales decline by one third or more. As a result, the Spark takes nearly half of all sales in this segment, with a share of 49.1%. The Mitsubishi Mirage is down by 34% and holds on to second place, but behind it is carnage for the two European models. The Mini Cooper was down 67% in Q2 and the Fiat 500 lost 74% in that same period. When looking at first half figures, the Mini is down by 36% and the small Italian is down 67% to a mere 566 sales in the entire country.
With the minicar segment in decline even in its “home market” Europe, and becoming evermore insignificant in the United States, the future is bleak for this type of vehicle. Especially considering gas prices are expected to remain low in the foreseeable future and Americans’ appetite for full sized trucks and SUVs, very few people are looking to spend their money on a car this size.
US minicar sales 2020 – first half
| Minicar segment | 2020 | 2019 | Change | Share | |
| 1 | Chevrolet Spark | 14.663 | 13.649 | 7% | 49,1% |
| 2 | Mitsubishi Mirage | 8.453 | 12.901 | -34% | 28,3% |
| 3 | Mini Cooper | 6.170 | 9.585 | -36% | 20,7% |
| 4 | Fiat 500 | 566 | 1.692 | -67% | 1,9% |
| Segment total | 29.852 | 37.827 | -21% |
Source: Manufacturers.