The small MPV segment’s growth of 10% in the first quarter has slowed down slightly in the second quarter, as first half 2014 sales are still up an impressive 8%. And the difference between success and failure has grown, as only two models show significant gains, while all other models either remain virtually flat or lose sales.
The Ford B-Max held on to its lead in the first half of 2013, until the Fiat 500L took over and never looked back. In the second quarter of 2014, the 500L even outsold the B-Max by a 2-to-1 ratio. Then the new generation Nissan Note outsold the little Ford for the first time last December and has done so every month since, to jump into the segment’s second place, from sixth last year. The B-Max is now under threat to lose out of the podium by the Opel/Vauxhall Meriva, with less than 50 units between them after the Meriva outsold the Romanian-built Ford in each of the last 3 months.
The Meriva has passed the Citroën C3 Picasso in the second quarter as well, but the rest of the segment remains relatively stable ranking-wise. All other models are down at least 12% with the only exception of the Skoda Roomster, down just 1% and therefore closing in on the Kia Venga.
As manufacturers are focusing their development efforts to the even faster growing small crossover segment, not much news is expected for the rest of the year. All models outside the top-9 are already out of showrooms or will be soon. The Ford Fusion and Renault Modus have been replaced by crossovers: respectively the Ecosport and Captur, while the Lancia Musa and Subaru Trezia won’t get a replacement. Amazingly, Toyota has updated the Verso-S slightly this year, even though the model’s sales would justify either axing the model or replacing it by something more competitive.
| SMALL MPV | ||||
| 2014-H1 | 2013-H1 | Change | ||
| 1. | Fiat 500L | 56.589 | 37.161 | 52% |
| 2. | Nissan Note | 37.758 | 15.433 | 145% |
| 3. | Ford B-Max | 31.520 | 38.606 | -18% |
| 4. | Opel/Vauxhall Meriva | 31.472 | 30.767 | 2% |
| 5. | Citroën C3 Picasso | 30.323 | 34.581 | -12% |
| 6. | Hyundai ix20 | 19.612 | 22.311 | -12% |
| 7. | Kia Venga | 13.811 | 16.937 | -18% |
| 8. | Skoda Roomster | 13.797 | 13.961 | -1% |
| 9. | Toyota Verso-S | 3.476 | 4.910 | -29% |
| 10. | Subaru Trezia | 215 | 872 | -75% |
| 11. | Ford Fusion | 20 | 31 | -35% |
| 12. | Lancia Musa | 8 | 1.112 | -99% |
| 13. | Renault (Grand) Modus | 6 | 4.736 | -100% |
| Segment total | 238.608 | 221.430 | 8% |
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