European sales 2016 first half Midsized car segment

The midsized car segment in Europe grew sharply in 2015 as two of the best sellers were renewed, but that growth has flattened to 8% in the first half of 2016, slightly slower than the overall market at +8,8%. With sales flat year-over-year, the Volkswagen Passat loses some market share, but is still at 32,7% of segment shares. Combined with sales of its sister model, the Skoda Superb, the Volkswagen MQB platform underpins almost 1 in every 2 midsized cars sold in Europe. The Superb has doubled its sales of last year, thanks to the very successful launch of its new generation, but also because its closest rivals lost volume. The Opel/Vauxhall Insignia is about to be replaced in the second half of this year, and the Ford Mondeo simply hasn’t hit a chord with European buyers. Its design is only evolutionary from the previous generation, especially from the rear three-quarters, and was already two years old in the US (as the Fusion) and China before production in Europe finally started. The Peugeot 508 is aging as well and continues to lose share, but PSA has made clear there are no plans yet to develop another midsized sedan (and station wagon), as the company is focusing on crossovers and SUVs, a segment where it believes it can compete better against Volkswagen and the luxury brands.

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

Toyota is facing a similar trade-off, as its Avensis is predominantly sold in Europe, where its potential is shrinking fast. The current Avensis has been facelifted and adds a third to its volume to take 6^th place, but the all-new Renault Talisman is gaining ground quickly. Even without full availability of the station wagon version, the Laguna replacement outsold the Toyota in June and was less than 200 units behind in Q2. Expect to find the Talisman in 5^th place by the end of the year, but it will have a hard time climbing any higher, as it won’t be sold in the UK, the biggest single market for both the Mondeo and Insignia in Europe with more than a quarter of their sales. Another quarter of their sales are in Germany, benefiting from the German manufacturing heritage of the Opel and Ford brands, while Renault will face an uphill battle in Germany no matter how good its offering in the midsized segment is. The Kia Optima has doubled up on its volume of last year thanks to its update, and that’s without the station wagon version which is scheduled to arrive in Q4. That may finally help the model climb out of obscurity and reach similar volumes than its sister model Hyundai i40.

Also check out the midsized car segment in the US, where the leader sells more than 6 times as much as the Passat, and even the Optima outsells it by a 2-to-1 ratio.

	Midsized segment	2016 H1	2015 H1	Change
1	Volkswagen Passat	110.909	110.542	0%
2	Skoda Superb	47.554	23.962	98%
3	Opel/Vauxhall Insignia	41.127	48.942	-16%
4	Ford Mondeo	40.594	40.999	-1%
5	Peugeot 508	21.771	24.336	-11%
6	Toyota Avensis	19.062	14.362	33%
7	Mazda6	16.281	15.797	3%
8	Renault Talisman	13.518	0	New
9	Hyundai i40	11.113	12.718	-13%
10	Citroën C5	5.593	7.522	-26%
11	Subaru Legacy / Outback	4.570	5.403	-15%
12	Kia Optima	3.586	1.726	108%
13	Subaru Levorg	2.786	3	New
14	MG6	284	408	-30%
15	Renault Laguna	117	6.031	-98%
16	Honda Accord	40	1.621	-98%
17	Opel/Vauxhall Ampera	24	167	-86%
18	Chevrolet Malibu	3	3	0%
19	Seat Exeo	2	7	-71%
	Segment total	338.934	314.649	8%

 

Click on any model to see its annual sales from 1997-2016 and monthly sales from 2012 to 2016, 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.