Small crossover and SUV sales in Europe outperform the overall market in 2021 and with over 2.15 million deliveries it becomes the biggest segment in Europe for the first time ever, leapfrogging the compact and subcompact segments. Sales of crossovers are up 7% in a market down 2%, improving their share of the European car market from 16.8% in 2020 to 18.3% in 2021. In Q4, the segment was down 14% in an overall market down 24%.
Eight of the top-10 nameplates improve on 2020, with the Renault Captur one of the few losers with sales down 9%. As a result, for the first time since 2014 the Captur is not at the top of the segment ranking, and it even drops to third place. The Peugeot 2008 is the best selling small crossover in Europe for the first time ever thanks to sales up 23%. The Volkswagen T-Roc is up 14% and stays in 2nd place. With a 4% gain, the Dacia Duster holds on to fourth place just ahead of the Ford Puma, up 14%. The Puma was down by more than half in Q4. Volkswagen’s second model in the class is the T-Cross, up 11% to #6. The Hyundai Kona is the biggest loser in the top-20 with sales down 13% and drops to 7th place. Its sister model Kia Niro is up 14% and sets a new annual sales record in the final full year of the current generation. The Seat Arona and Skoda Kamiq complete the top-10, both keeping their share of the class stable. They’re followed by two Opel/Vauxhall nameplates, with the Crossland X down 12% but still ahead of its sister model Mokka. However, in the fourth quarter the Mokka was the #7 seller in the class thanks to the new generation.
The Citroën C3 Aircross is down 9% but stays ahead of the Jeep Renegade and Nissan Juke, both of which keep their share of the class stable at 2.9%. The Suzuki Vitara is the best performing nameplate in the top-20 with sales up 26% but that’s largely a result of its relatively bad performance in 2020. A similar effect happened to its sibling Suzuki S-Cross at #25 and the Mazda CX-3 at #28. The Ford EcoSport loses 35% of its sales now that the Puma has arrived in full force. The MG ZS is up 48% to a new annual sales record at just over 29,000 deliveries.
Best selling newcomer in the class is the Toyota Yaris Cross at #24 which was in 8th place in the fourth quarter. The Hyundai Bayon lands at #27 and the Volkswagen Taigo at #33. The latter is a crossover coupe version of the T-Cross.
Luxury models lose share, down to 5.4% from 6.1% last year. The Audi Q2 is down 6% in an overall 18th place while the Mini Countryman closes in at +1%. The DS3 Crossback is down 18% and the second worst performing nameplate in the overall top-26.
| Small SUV segment | 2021 | 2020 | Change | 2021 share | 2020 share | 2021-Q4 | 2020-Q4 | Change | |
| 1 | Peugeot 2008 | 191.424 | 156.138 | 23% | 8,9% | 7,8% | 49.912 | 51.316 | -3% |
| 2 | Volkswagen T-Roc | 181.577 | 158.638 | 14% | 8,4% | 7,9% | 38.475 | 46.028 | -16% |
| 3 | Renault Captur | 162.138 | 178.724 | -9% | 7,5% | 8,9% | 34.341 | 53.034 | -35% |
| 4 | Dacia Duster | 144.772 | 139.269 | 4% | 6,7% | 6,9% | 34.347 | 39.113 | -12% |
| 5 | Ford Puma | 134.431 | 118.180 | 14% | 6,2% | 5,9% | 17.665 | 39.793 | -56% |
| 6 | Volkswagen T-Cross | 125.325 | 113.320 | 11% | 5,8% | 5,6% | 24.618 | 30.878 | -20% |
| 7 | Hyundai Kona | 109.934 | 126.980 | -13% | 5,1% | 6,3% | 25.291 | 41.001 | -38% |
| 8 | Kia Niro | 88.843 | 77.830 | 14% | 4,1% | 3,9% | 21.507 | 21.968 | -2% |
| 9 | Seat Arona | 84.984 | 80.765 | 5% | 4,0% | 4,0% | 14.991 | 19.990 | -25% |
| 10 | Skoda Kamiq | 82.461 | 75.559 | 9% | 3,8% | 3,8% | 14.752 | 20.816 | -29% |
| 11 | Opel/Vauxhall Crossland X | 80.072 | 91.411 | -12% | 3,7% | 4,5% | 13.094 | 21.432 | -39% |
| 12 | Opel/Vauxhall Mokka | 70.313 | 136 | +++ | 3,3% | 0,0% | 23.479 | 56 | +++ |
| 13 | Citroën C3 Aircross | 68.608 | 75.281 | -9% | 3,2% | 3,7% | 15.290 | 19.004 | -20% |
| 14 | Jeep Renegade | 62.981 | 58.975 | 7% | 2,9% | 2,9% | 11.202 | 18.556 | -40% |
| 15 | Nissan Juke | 62.535 | 58.402 | 7% | 2,9% | 2,9% | 13.364 | 16.403 | -19% |
| 16 | Kia Stonic | 55.510 | 51.498 | 8% | 2,6% | 2,6% | 11.484 | 10.523 | 9% |
| 17 | Suzuki Vitara | 55.112 | 43.727 | 26% | 2,6% | 2,2% | 9.652 | 12.283 | -21% |
| 18 | Audi Q2 | 54.614 | 57.825 | -6% | 2,5% | 2,9% | 8.333 | 13.628 | -39% |
| 19 | Fiat 500X | 53.826 | 58.853 | -9% | 2,5% | 2,9% | 8.189 | 17.228 | -52% |
| 20 | Mini Countryman | 45.375 | 45.139 | 1% | 2,1% | 2,2% | 10.711 | 14.357 | -25% |
| 21 | Kia Xceed | 44.522 | 45.023 | -1% | 2,1% | 2,2% | 11.877 | 11.354 | 5% |
| 22 | Ford Ecosport | 31.081 | 47.548 | -35% | 1,4% | 2,4% | 9.751 | 6.108 | 60% |
| 23 | MG ZS | 29.130 | 19.676 | 48% | 1,4% | 1,0% | 6.909 | 5.293 | 31% |
| 24 | Toyota Yaris Cross | 26.266 | 0 | New | 1,2% | 0,0% | 21.950 | 0 | New |
| 25 | Suzuki S-Cross | 25.261 | 20.776 | 22% | 1,2% | 1,0% | 5.754 | 6.471 | -11% |
| 26 | DS3 Crossback | 15.908 | 19.496 | -18% | 0,7% | 1,0% | 3.589 | 5.240 | -32% |
| 27 | Hyundai Bayon | 15.404 | 0 | New | 0,7% | 0,0% | 8.016 | 0 | New |
| 28 | Mazda CX-3 | 13.879 | 5.171 | 168% | 0,6% | 0,3% | 2.516 | 3.006 | -16% |
| 29 | Kia Soul | 8.144 | 8.038 | 1% | 0,4% | 0,4% | 1.939 | 1.947 | 0% |
| 30 | Honda HR-V | 6.989 | 14.390 | -51% | 0,3% | 0,7% | 1.807 | 3.106 | -42% |
| 31 | Mitsubishi ASX | 6.271 | 17.983 | -65% | 0,3% | 0,9% | 985 | 3.190 | -69% |
| 32 | SsangYong Tivoli | 3.804 | 3.831 | -1% | 0,2% | 0,2% | 845 | 819 | 3% |
| 33 | Volkswagen Taigo | 1.688 | 0 | New | 0,1% | 0,0% | 1.688 | 0 | New |
| 34 | DR3 | 1.645 | 568 | 190% | 0,1% | 0,0% | 601 | 115 | 423% |
| 35 | Lada Niva | 1.384 | 1.362 | 2% | 0,1% | 0,1% | 269 | 140 | 92% |
| 36 | Citroën C4 Cactus | 1.192 | 26.379 | -95% | 0,1% | 1,3% | 6 | 3.769 | -100% |
| 37 | DR EVO 4 | 1.109 | 0 | New | 0,1% | 0,0% | 311 | 0 | New |
| 38 | Mahindra KUV100 | 956 | 1.274 | -25% | 0,0% | 0,1% | 245 | 339 | -28% |
| 39 | Haval H2 | 749 | 370 | 102% | 0,0% | 0,0% | 93 | 84 | 11% |
| 40 | Suzuki Jimny | 563 | 10.063 | -94% | 0,0% | 0,5% | 173 | 933 | -81% |
| 41 | SsangYong XLV | 145 | 251 | -42% | 0,0% | 0,0% | 0 | 39 | -100% |
| 42 | JAC IEV7S | 127 | 7 | 1714% | 0,0% | 0,0% | 60 | 7 | 757% |
| Segment total | 2.151.055 | 2.009.603 | 7% | 480.081 | 559.367 | -14% |
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.