The premium midsized car segment in Europe increased slightly faster than the overall market in the first quarter of 2017, at +9%. This is also significantly better than the growth of the mainstream midsized segment, which was down by 12%. The Mercedes-Benz C-Class extends its lead of the segment with an increase of 17%, but keep in mind this includes the coupe and convertible versions, which are split off into different nameplates at its direct rivals. The BMW 3-series is only in third place of the ranking, but BMW is still the best selling brand in this class thanks to the additional volume of the 4-Series coupe, convertible and Gran Coupe, with Audi a very close second with its A4 and A5, leaving Mercedes-Benz in third place. Audi is growing fast this quarter, as both the A4 and A5 have been renewed and grow faster than the overall segment.
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
Behind the German Big 3, Volvo is still best of the rest and even manages to keep its share of the segment stable as the already 7-year old S60 and V60 grow at the same speed as the rest of the segment. The Jaguar XE has already peaked and is down 12%, with its 7th place under threat as the Alfa Romeo Giulia outsold the XE in January and February and is only back down to 8th thanks to the Jaguar’s monster month in the UK in March. Expect to find the Giulia to move back up one spot in the next few months. The DS5 is the biggest loser in the top-10 witha a loss of 40%, almost outsold by the Lexus IS.
The Volkswagen CC will be replaced by the Arteon this year, and the C-Class and IS will be facelifted, but the big news won’t arrive until 2018: the next generation 3-Series.
Also check out the premium midsized car segment in the US, where the BMW 3-Series and 4-Series combined also still lead the ranking ahead of the C-Class
| Premium midsized car segment | 2017-Q1 | 2016-Q1 | Change | |
| 1 | Mercedes-Benz C-Class | 49.165 | 42.103 | 17% |
| 2 | Audi A4 / S4 / RS4 | 40.241 | 36.578 | 10% |
| 3 | BMW 3-series | 37.455 | 38.301 | -2% |
| 4 | BMW 4-series | 18.052 | 17.684 | 2% |
| 5 | Audi A5 / S5 / RS5 | 14.357 | 12.682 | 13% |
| 6 | Volvo S60/V60 | 13.481 | 12.412 | 9% |
| 7 | Jaguar XE | 7.202 | 8.184 | -12% |
| 8 | Alfa Romeo Giulia | 6.650 | 19 | New |
| 9 | DS5 | 1.844 | 3.062 | -40% |
| 10 | Lexus IS | 1.746 | 1.762 | -1% |
| 11 | Infiniti Q50 | 609 | 611 | 0% |
| 12 | Volkswagen CC | 524 | 1.776 | -70% |
| 13 | Lexus RC | 303 | 0 | New |
| Segment total | 191.629 | 175.174 | 9% |
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.