Sales in the European minicar segment are down 2% in the first half of 2014, as a number of important models have just been renewed or will be in the second half of the year. The new generation of the Kolin triplets Citroën C1, Peugeot 107/108 and Toyota Aygo have started sales in June and won’t reach their full potential until the third quarter. Thanks to an excellent first quarter with sales increasing 20%, the Aygo is actually still up for the first half, but the C1 and 107 are down about 25%.
Also in showrooms later this year are the new generations of the Renault Twingo and Smart Fortwo, both on the same rear-engined, rear-wheel drive platform, and both outgoing generations down about 12% on last year.
Already renewed at the end of 2013, the Hyundai i10 is the fastest gaining model of the segment, with sales up a third compared to the previous generation, while its sister model the Kia Picanto is up 8%. The minicar gaining the most volume is the Fiat 500, holding on to the lead it took over from its sister model the Panda in the second half of 2013, despite being a six-year old model with no major changes since its introduction.
The Volkswagen Up! remains stable in third place, while its sibling models Skoda Citigo and Seat Mii are already down 13% and 20% respectively, increasing the distance between the three so much that the Up! sells more than double its sister models combined.
Compared to the first quarter ranking, the Opel/Vauxhall Adam has gained another two spots to get within less than 400 sales of a top 10 position, which would be an excellent achievement for the model that was met with mixed reactions upon introduction, but which is hitting the sales goals the brand has set for it.
The Chevrolet Spark by itself accounts for more than the segment loss in the first half, as sales have all but dried up completely, averageing just above 500 monthly sales in the second quarter, as the brands prepares for its withdrawal from the European market by the end of next year.
| MINICAR | ||||
| 2014-H1 | 2013-H1 | Change | ||
| 1. | Fiat 500 | 96.878 | 83.375 | 16% |
| 2. | Fiat Panda | 81.690 | 88.096 | -7% |
| 3. | Volkswagen Up! | 69.677 | 68.924 | 1% |
| 4. | Hyundai i10 | 42.198 | 31.698 | 33% |
| 5. | Renault Twingo | 38.231 | 43.512 | -12% |
| 6. | Lancia/Chrysler Ypsilon | 35.425 | 31.185 | 14% |
| 7. | Toyota Aygo | 33.019 | 31.508 | 5% |
| 8. | Smart Fortwo | 31.637 | 36.268 | -13% |
| 9. | Ford Ka | 29.443 | 27.529 | 7% |
| 10. | Kia Picanto | 28.267 | 26.280 | 8% |
| 11. | Opel/Vauxhall Adam | 27.875 | 21.840 | 28% |
| 12. | Citroën C1 | 24.438 | 31.983 | -24% |
| 13. | Peugeot 107 | 22.882 | 30.518 | -25% |
| 14. | Skoda Citigo | 21.576 | 24.717 | -13% |
| 15. | Suzuki Alto | 15.535 | 14.541 | 7% |
| 16. | Seat Mii | 12.163 | 15.282 | -20% |
| 17. | Chevrolet Spark | 9.205 | 20.329 | -55% |
| 18. | Mitsubishi Space Star | 8.005 | 6.740 | 19% |
| 19. | Suzuki Splash | 7.884 | 8.735 | -10% |
| 20. | Opel/Vauxhall Agila | 6.987 | 7.624 | -8% |
| 21. | Toyota iQ | 2.408 | 3.170 | -24% |
| 22. | Peugeot 108 | 1.025 | 0 | new |
| 23. | Tata Indica | 189 | 398 | -53% |
| 24. | Nissan Pixo | 95 | 2.454 | -96% |
| 25. | DR1 | 8 | 148 | -95% |
| Segment total | 646.745 | 656.977 | -2% | |
Click on any model to see its annual sales from 1997-2013 and monthly sales in 2012, 2013 and 2014, or use the dropdown menu in the top right of this site. Sources: Manufacturers, ANDC, JATO Dynamics.