European sales 2016 first half small crossover segment

The small crossover segment is still the fastest growing mainstream segment in Europe at +28% and over 150.000 additional sales in the first half of 2016. But what’s more earthshaking is that for the first time ever, small crossovers outsold their larger counterpart midsized crossovers in the second quarter of 2016: 367.000 vs. 363.000. As a result, the “Captur-segment” is within 23.000 sales of the “Qashqai-segment” for the first half and could become the bigger of the two by year-end. Almost all models share in the glory, as only two out of the 17 remaining models lost volume, and by less than 1.000 units combined, while 11 models show either double digit or triple digit growth, or are entirely new. The segment leader Renault Captur keeps improving as well, but also keeps losing share as it grows slower than the segment as a whole at +10%. The Captur’s leadership is unthreatened though, as its closest rival of last year Opel/Vauxhall Mokka improved just 3% as it awaits a facelift, and that has allowed the already updated Peugeot 2008 to leapfrog the Mokka and reclaim the #2 spot thanks to sales up 13%.

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

Despite its age, the Dacia Duster also keeps improving, at +8%, holding on to its fourth place ahead of the Fiat 500X, the big winner of the leaders thanks to doubling its volume of last year. Combining sales of its platform sibling Jeep Renegade, the FCA duo would be in 2^nd place with close to 100.000 sales. The model that made the segment popular, the Nissan Juke, loses 1% under the increased competition, as its minor facelift hasn’t helped the model reverse its fortune. The Citroën C4 Cactus is the other model to lose volume, down by just 161 sales in the first half. The Suzuki Vitara loses the 8^th place it held in Q1 to the Renegade, despite tripling its sales of last year, when it was introduced. The Mazda CX-3 and SsangYong Tivoli are just as fresh and logically multiply their start-up period volume.

Surprisingly, the grandfather of the segment, Suzuki Jimny, also keeps improving, showing that despite the popularity of the trendy crossovers, there remains a (small) demand for an actual off-road capable small car. And even the even more ancient Lada Niva adds volume, now that the brand is officially returning to the EU, and capitalizing on its cult-car image. We welcome the SsangYong XLV to the ranking, the stretched version of the Tivoli, which unfortunately doesn’t provide an extra third row of seating but instead only increases the luggage compartment while reminding of SsangYong’s past of awkwardly proportioned vehicles.

Also check out the subcompact crossover segment in the US, where the former leader Buick Encore (Mokka) is now pushed down into 3rd place, but GM is still the segment leader with its two models combined, while the 500X continues to disappoint, selling less than its monthly European volume in six months’ time.

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.