European sales 2014 first half midsize segment

European sales in the midsized segment have declined further in the second quarter of 2014 to show a loss of 5% over the first half. The Volkswagen Passat shows a smaller decline than the overall segment, even though its new generation has already been introduced to the press and will hit showrooms in the last quarter of this year.

Of only five models increasing their sales on last year, the Opel/Vauxhall Insignia is the fastest growing with sales up over one third thanks to a facelift and modernized engines. The second fastest gainer is the Skoda Superb, which also has been updated recently, and which could repeat the remarkable performance of its smaller sibling Skoda in the compact segment by ending the year on the podium of the midsize segment. It’s already leapfrogged the Peugeot 508 into fourth position and has its sights set on the Ford Mondeo.

Belgian production of the current generation Mondeo has already ended in July. After the summer break, Ford will start production of the new generation Mondeo in Spain, but that model won’t hit showrooms until December, leaving it vulnerable to be passed by the Skoda Superb.

As the new Passat and Mondeo are set to enter showrooms at around the same time, it would be interesting to see how they are received by the public. The Passat is another design evolution, while design of the Mondeo was widely praised in the U.S. when it was introduced as the Fusion in 2012. That’s right, the Mondeo’s design is already 2,5 years old when it’s finally sold in Europe. Will it still be fresh enough to break loose from its pursuers and maybe even threaten the Insignia in 2015?

The Mazda6 seems to peak at its current level, and has held on to the title of best-selling Asian midsized model in Europe, which it took from the Toyota Avensis in the first quarter of the year.

Amazingly, the Renault Laguna, an already six-year-old design which has never been able to hit the sales levels of its predecessors, has benefited from an excellent month of June for almost all models of the Renault brand to actually increase sales in the first half of 2014. This is the model’s first increase since 2008, the current generation’s first full year on the market.

	MID-SIZED CAR
		2014-H1	2013-H1	Change
1.	Volkswagen Passat	80.409	81.482	-1%
2.	Opel/Vauxhall Insignia	51.401	38.206	35%
3.	Ford Mondeo	26.342	25.091	5%
4.	Skoda Superb	24.118	21.682	11%
5.	Peugeot 508	22.909	32.572	-30%
6.	Mazda6	17.289	16.517	5%
7.	Toyota Avensis	15.247	19.309	-21%
8.	Hyundai i40	13.821	16.766	-18%
9.	Citroën C5	10.547	14.477	-27%
10.	Renault Laguna	10.313	9.852	5%
11.	Citroën DS5	7.045	11.550	-39%
12.	Subaru Legacy/Outback	3.497	4.073	-14%
13.	Honda Accord	1.831	2.794	-34%
14.	Kia Optima	1.611	1.913	-16%
15.	Opel/Vauxhall Ampera	438	1.224	-64%
16.	Chevrolet Malibu	310	941	-67%
17.	Renault Latitude	260	350	-26%
18.	Seat Exeo	205	4.780	-96%
19.	Suzuki Kizashi	152	302	-50%
Segment total		287.593	303.579	-5%

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.