European sales 2019-Q3 Minicar segment

Highlights:

  • Segment down 1% YTD, still makes up 7,9% of the European new car market.
  • Fiat 500 outsells Fiat Panda in Q3 and both models are very close YTD as Fiat still controls 29,5% of the segment
  • Hyundai i10 in 4th place in Q3 and moves up 1 spot YTD to #6, thanks to runout sales of the outgoing model before the new generation arrives
  • Toyota Aygo and Renault Twingo both outsell VW Up! again, distancing the former #3 which is the biggest loser in the top-15
  • Smart Fortwo in 6th place in Q3 ahead of Up! and Kia Picanto
  • Opel Karl/Vauxhall Viva biggest winner of the segment at +23% thanks to sell out of stock. Moves up to #9 YTD
  • Suzuki Ignis moves up 1 place, leapfrogging the Mitsubishi Space Star
  • Skoda Citigo and Seat Mii, like the Fortwo, are in the final stage of sales with gasoline engine before switching to EV only

Minicar segment 2019 Q1-Q3 2018 Q1-Q3 Change Share
1 Fiat Panda 140.630 122.768 15% 14,8%
2 Fiat 500 139.424 153.051 -9% 14,7%
3 Toyota Aygo 73.955 72.286 2% 7,8%
4 Renault Twingo 64.852 65.416 -1% 6,8%
5 Volkswagen Up! 62.253 76.079 -18% 6,5%
6 Hyundai i10 58.280 64.457 -10% 6,1%
7 Kia Picanto 57.830 57.867 0% 6,1%
8 Smart Fortwo 52.072 46.245 13% 5,5%
9 Opel Karl / Vauxhall Viva 47.049 38.379 23% 4,9%
10 Peugeot 108 43.352 44.149 -2% 4,6%
11 Citroën C1 40.025 40.148 0% 4,2%
12 Opel/Vauxhall Adam 31.109 30.991 0% 3,3%
13 Suzuki Ignis 29.667 34.274 -13% 3,1%
14 Mitsubishi Space Star / Mirage 29.074 27.255 7% 3,1%
15 Skoda Citigo 28.688 27.937 3% 3,0%
16 Smart Forfour 26.718 27.117 -1% 2,8%
17 Suzuki Celerio 12.166 17.363 -30% 1,3%
18 Seat Mii 11.433 10.263 11% 1,2%
19 Citroën C-Zero 834 797 5% 0,1%
20 Peugeot iOn 745 1.074 -31% 0,1%
21 Citroën E-Mehari 142 262 -46% 0%
22 Mitsubishi i-MiEV 136 232 -41% 0%
23 Mitsubishi Attrage 68 40 70% 0%
Segment total 950.502 958.450 -1%

Click on any model to see its annual sales from 1997-2018 and monthly sales from 2015 to 2018, or use the dropdown menu in the top right of this site.

Car sales statistics are from the following countries: Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland.

Sources: Manufacturers, ANDC, JATO Dynamics.

  1. Interesting how Fiat absolutely owns this segment, but now says it is going to abandon it, in favor of reentering the B segment that it abandoned a year ago, when they dropped the Punto.

    1. FCA can’t rely on cars with a low profit margin. Lots of other brands are ditching their A segment models.
      .
      I assume Fiat will push the 500 even more in the direction of the Mini which started as a small car.

      1. In their Q3 report, FCA said it would abandon the A segment in favor of the B segment they abandoned a year ago, to sell cars to all those happy Punto owners that are around, somewhere, they say. I realize that the new B segment will be a rebadged 208, just as the new Corsa is, so development cost would be minimal.

        Given that the less successful companies in this segment are leaving: VAG withdrawing the Up!, Citigo and Mii, while PSA drops the GM Korea sourced Karl and GM platform Adam, that is another 180,000 ytd customers up for grabs, in addition to the 280,000 Pandas and 500s sold. I can’t see how a company with over a quarter million sales in a segment in three quarters can fail to make a profit at it. But then, in their Q3 report, FCA said it is all about gross margin per car, not volume, so they appear to be following the US big three model, of seeking ever higher transaction prices and gross margin, to satisfy the stock market. US dealers are already pushing 6 year financing, and starting to push into 7 year financing, to sell these ever more expensive vehicles to people whose income is not growing at the pace of car prices. It doesn’t seem to be a sustainable, let alone prudent, business model to me.

  2. Why would Daimler almost decide to discontinue smart if nearly 80,000 were sold last quarter? American sales are horrific, but they’re doing fine in Europe.

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