The large premium SUV segment is one of the fastest growing in Europe, with sales up a booming 31% in the first half of 2016, a figure only beaten by the mainstream large MPV segment. And like that segment, this is a direct result of the renewal of a few key players: two thirds of the segment growth can be attributed to just two models: the Volvo XC90 and Audi Q7. These two redesigned SUVs are still unable to knock the ruling leader BMW X5 off its throne, despite losing a big chunk of the segment share with sales flat at just +2%. The two newcomers take the bottom steps of the podium but will surely attempt another coup in the second half of the year. The Range Rover Sport also has stable sales but is relegated to fourth place ahead of the Mercedes-Benz GLE, the facelifted and renamed M-Class. Behind these five theres a wide gap to the second tier of the segment, led by the aging Volkswagen Touareg ahead of its platform sibling Porsche Cayenne, both losing double digit volume in the first half of the year.
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
The Land Rover Discovery, due to be replaced next year by a new generation which will look like a large version of the Discovery Sport, is surprisingly strong for its age and its workhorse genes in a segment full of boulevard cruisers. It was outsold in Q2 by its closest 3 challengers but by a slim enough margin to hold on to its #8 position. The BMW X6 is under fire from the all-new Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe, a model directly and unabashedly aimed at it, although the X6 has still outsold its rival in every single month so far. The Lexus RX benefits from its new generation to more than double up, but it remains a niche player in the segment in Europe while it’s the ultra-dominant leader in the US with almost twice the volume of its nearest competitor.
Also check out the premium large SUV segment in the US, where the Mercedes GLE narrowly beats the Acura MDX for 2nd place.
| Premium large SUV segment | 2016 H1 | 2015 H1 | Change | |
| 1 | BMW X5 | 19.525 | 19.216 | 2% |
| 2 | Volvo XC90 | 18.650 | 4.464 | 318% |
| 3 | Audi Q7 | 17.029 | 5.995 | 184% |
| 4 | Range Rover Sport | 15.487 | 15.452 | 0% |
| 5 | Mercedes-Benz GLE | 14.795 | 0 | New |
| 6 | Volkswagen Touareg | 9.522 | 10.748 | -11% |
| 7 | Porsche Cayenne | 8.427 | 9.995 | -16% |
| 8 | Land Rover Discovery | 7.747 | 6.700 | 16% |
| 9 | Range Rover | 7.353 | 7.853 | -6% |
| 10 | Jeep Grand Cherokee | 6.837 | 6.614 | 3% |
| 11 | BMW X6 | 6.717 | 7.753 | -13% |
| 12 | Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe | 5.332 | 173 | New |
| 13 | Lexus RX | 4.409 | 2.026 | 118% |
| 14 | Mercedes-Benz GL/GLS | 2.563 | 2.119 | 21% |
| 15 | Mercedes-Benz G-Class | 2.064 | 1.457 | 42% |
| 16 | Infiniti QX70 | 733 | 791 | -7% |
| 17 | Bentley Bentayga | 391 | 0 | New |
| 18 | Land Rover Defender | 149 | 563 | -74% |
| 19 | Maserati Levante | 126 | 0 | New |
| 20 | Mercedes-Benz R-Class | 3 | 4 | -25% |
| Segment total | 147.859 | 112.454 | 31% |
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.