BMW X2 and Volvo XC40 gain great traction in market, while E-Pace struggles
Sales in the US Premium Compact SUV segment rose by 23.7% to 70,770 in the first half of 2018, thanks to a remarkable 42.5% growth in the second quarter of the year. With the new BMW X2, Jaguar E-Pace and Volvo XC40 beginning to stretch their legs sales-wise, the second-generation Audi Q3 and Lexus UX arriving imminently, the second-generation Mercedes-Benz GLA and Range Rover Evoque set to arrive by the end of the year, and the Acura CDX just waiting to be sold in the US, the segment has a very bright few years ahead of it.
Highlights
- BMW X1 cemented its lead in the segment, selling almost 50% more units than any other model, and although its sales growth of 5.5% was the lowest from among the Top 4 models, this is probably mostly due to the success of its sportier BMW X2 sibling
- The Top 3 was once again completed by fellow germans Mercedes-Benz GLA and Audi Q3, with both aging models seeing their sales rise by double-digits, enough to keep the new Mini Countryman at bay
Note: Clicking on the model name opens the sales data page for that model; clicking year in the legend turns the display for that year on/off
- The scale of the GLA’s and Q3’s achievements is all the more palpable given the sales decline of the still-new Infiniti QX30 and the about-to-be-replaced Range Rover Evoque, both of which lost more than 30% in the second quarter, and were outsold by new-to-market models
- Of these new models, BMW X2 and Volvo XC40 are doing the best, with the BMW in particular outselling the XC40 and even the Countryman in the second quarter of the year
- By contrast, the new Jaguar E-Pace is off to a rocky start, and sold less than 25% than either of its new competitors in Q2’18
Note: clicking on the model names in legend turns the display for that model on/off; data is displayed from 1990 onwards, but starts earlier – access previous years using slider on bottom