Sales in the Premium Compact SUV segment in the US rose by 11 percent in the third quarter of 2016, slightly slower than in either of the previous two quarters, bringing the YTD growth rate down to 18 percent. This was nonetheless enough to keep the segment ahead of either the Premium Mid-sized SUV and Premium Large SUV segments.
Highlights for Q1-Q3 2016
- The new BMW X1 finally took the crown of the segment leader away from Mercedes-Benz GLA, as sales of the older model (down 28 percent in Q3) have clearly been affected by the X1
- Remarkably, the even-older Audi Q3 seems not just to unaffected by the BMW, but its sales have actually been rising quickly for the past two quarters, gaining a remarkable 71 percent in Q3
- Infiniti QX30 made its market debut in September, so it’s too early to remark on its potential in the segment, though we’ll get a better picture by the year’s end
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