The small MPV segment in Europe is still up 6% after the first nine months of 2014, but continued competition from small crossovers has caused the growth to stall, while the top-3 are the only models to increase sales year-over-year. The Fiat 500L continues to control the segment which it has lead for five straight quarters, but the Nissan Note is storming up the charts, coming from 7th place last year with the previous generation to second place this year, thanks to the new model. The Note even outsold the 500L in September thanks to strong volume in the UK, its home market.
The Ford B-Max loses another spot in the segment it has lead until the first half of 2013, and it has been surpassed since by respectively the 500L, the Note and now the Opel/Vauxhall Meriva to be kicked off the podium. The little Ford has lost 20% of its volume, or almost 11.000 units on last year and could feel the Citroën C3 Picasso breathing down its neck in September.
The Hyundai ix20 has made up some of the volume lost in the first half, but is still down 6% year-to-date. The Skoda Roomster outsold the Kia Venga in August, but the South-Korean small MPV still managed to fend off its Czech rival. The minor updates to the Toyota Verso-S have been unable to turn the sales slide around, and the model is likely to be dropped from the line-up soon, just as the unsuccessful Urban Cruiser was earlier this year.
With the Fiat 500X small crossover in showrooms next year, which could cannibalize on the 500L, the Nissan Note has a real shot at taking the segment’s top spot in 2015. Let’s keep an eye on this battle for next year, things could get interesting here.
| SMALL MPV | 2014 Jan-Sep | 2013 Jan-Sep | Change | |
| 1. | Fiat 500L | 76.153 | 55.384 | 38% |
| 2. | Nissan Note | 53.216 | 21.312 | 150% |
| 3. | Opel/Vauxhall Meriva | 44.599 | 44.080 | 1% |
| 4. | Ford B-Max | 43.807 | 54.752 | -20% |
| 5. | Citroën C3 Picasso | 40.729 | 48.509 | -16% |
| 6. | Hyundai ix20 | 28.819 | 30.791 | -6% |
| 7. | Kia Venga | 20.013 | 23.911 | -16% |
| 8. | Skoda Roomster | 19.798 | 20.506 | -3% |
| 9. | Toyota Verso-S | 4.881 | 6.962 | -30% |
| 10. | Subaru Trezia | 311 | 1.107 | -72% |
| 11. | Ford Fusion | 27 | 34 | -21% |
| 12. | Lancia Musa | 9 | 1.219 | -99% |
| 13. | Renault (Grand) Modus | 9 | 5.029 | -100% |
| Segment total | 332.372 | 313.610 | 6% |
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