Fastest growing segment in the US, now larger than premium compact car segment
The Premium Compact Crossover segment saw its sales increase 15% in Q2 of 2017, which is a slowdown of the booming 39% growth in the first quarter, which brings the year-to-date increase to 27%, still an improvement over the 24% increase in all of 2016. Total sales in the first half were 56,667 which is more than the sales figure of the Premium Compact Car segment. Only one model in the segment lost sales: the Mercedes-Benz GLA. With the new generation Mini Countryman in showrooms now, and the arrival of the Jaguar E-Pace and Volvo XC40 by the end of the year (or perhaps early next year), the segment is bound to continue on this path of growth. Next year, Audi could bring the Q2 to the States as well, although this has not yet been officially confirmed, nor has Acura hinted at the possibility that the China-made CDX is coming to the US. If so, it won’t be for at least another year.
Highlights for first half 2017
The new generations BMW X1 helps the nameplate hold on to the segment lead it already took for the full year 2016. After the model already almost doubled its volume last year, it’s up 34% again in Q2, making its the fastest growing nameplate in the quarter. Its first half figure now stands at +23% and it now is responsible for more than a quarter of the sales in the segment.- Its closest rival in the second quarter was the Audi Q3, even though it was down 2% on last year and it remains in fourth place year-to-date with a gain of just 7%. If it keeps up this pace, it could move into the #2 spot after the next quarter.
- But don’t expect the Mercedes-Benz GLA to give up that position easily, as it reclaims the #2 spot from its platform sibling Infiniti QX30. The QX30 had an incredible start in Q1 when it outsold its “original” with an average of 2.100 monthly sales, but has fallen flat in the second quarter as its 950 monthly sales was less than 50 total sales ahead of the #6 spot of the segment. That means it’s down to third and under fire of the Audi.
- Even the all-new Mini Countryman outsold the QX30 in the second quarter, despite volume being down 6% on the sales of its predecessor last year. The new Countryman took the segment #4 spot in both May and June and looks set to move past the Range Rover Evoque by next quarter. The Evoque carried the red lantern of the segment in Q2, despite a segment-second-best 23% increase over 2016. It’s still the fastest growing nameplate of the segment in the first half, at +34%.
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