The Premium Mid-sized SUV segment grew by 38% in 2015 to 362.817 vehicles, adding more than 100.000 sales to its 2014 volume, with only one remaining model losing volume and eight setting new volume records as luxury buyers are shifting away from sedans to crossovers. The segment leader Cadillac SRX breaks its volume record in the 13th and last full year of the nameplate that spans two generations. Cadillac’s best selling model will be replaced by the XT5 in 2016, and the brand surely hopes to continue the upward trend.The Audi Q5 has been on the market for 7 years now, and has managed to improve its sales volume in each of those years, making 2015 the best year so far for the model, helping it move past the Acura RDX into the segment #2 spot. Similarly, the RDX also has shown volume growth for six consecutive years and scores its highest volume ever.
Fourth place is now occupied by the Lexus NX, which was introduced in 2014 and has stormed up the chart in 2015. It is also the brand’s second best selling crossover, outsold only by the RX. The BMW X3 is the only remaining nameplate to lose volume at -6%, but it stays in fifth place as the Mercedes-Benz GLK was being replaced by the all-new GLC in 2015, which already outsold the X3 and Volvo XC60 in December. It may get boring to keep hearing the same story over and over again, but the XC60 also sets a new volume record in its seventh year on the market.
The Lincoln MKC and Porsche Macan both almost double their volumes from their introduction year 2014, followed by the all-new Land Rover Discovery Sport. While the BMW X4 manages to sell in pretty similar volumes as the Macan in Europe, it sells less than half of the Porsche in the US. The Infiniti QX50 is finally stepping out of the anonymity thanks to the update and its new stretched wheel-base, giving it more interior space and subsequently extra sales volume. It went from 225 to 1.000 sales a month so should be able to double up once again in 2016, but that would still keep it a niche player in this highly competitive field.
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
Photo credit top of page: Mark Bean, Drive.com.au