Smart car sales europe

Smart Europe Sales Figures

Data & Charts for Total Smart Car Brand Sales in Europe

Bart Demandt
Car Sales EuropeEurope By BrandSmart Car SalesSmart Market Sales
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Smart Sales Data & Trends for the European Automotive Market

Smart sales and market share in Europe have slowly declined every year from 2008 until 2014 as the brand’s single model aged. Since 2015 the brand rebounded sharply to return to its 2009 volume as a new Fortwo was launched and joined by a four-door, four-seat version. Smart’s European sales fluctuated around 100.000 annual units since, with market share between 0,65% and 0,7%.

The tiny 2-seater minicar, available as coupe and cabriolet, was renewed in 2007 and slightly facelifted in 2012. The third generation reached showrooms at the end of 2014 and has been co-developed with Renault, who also based its new generation Twingo on the same rear-engined, rear wheel drive platform.

The new Smart Fortwo did not add extra length, it stayed 2,70 meter (106 inches) long, but due to stricter pedestrian safety standards, the exterior design of the car changed from Smart’s familiar one-box design to a traditional two-box silhouette with a more prominent nose. The characteristic Tridion safety cell remained an integral part of the car’s design. A Brabus-tuned top-of-the-line version was developed for the new generation as well, as is an all-electric Fortwo Electric Drive.

Daimler’s small car brand also has started production of a second generation of the Forfour on the same platform, but only the name reminds of the subcompact model that was discontinued in 2006 due to slow sales. The new four-door four-seater hatchback was also introduced late 2014 and is built alongside the Twingo in Slovenia instead of together with the Fortwo in Hambach, France.

Smart European sales peaked in 2004 at close to  135.000 cars on the newly released first generation Forfour. In 2014, sales fell to a record low of less than 56.000 as customers awaited the new generations, before recovering to almost six figures again.

Also find Smart US sales figures. Sales figures for the Smart Fortwo, Forfour, Roadster, Crossblade.

Monthly Vehicle Sales

Annual Vehicle Sales

Annual Vehicle Sales Chart

Market Share Chart

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.

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Bart Demandt
Bart is a 36-year old Dutchman who's always had a thing for cars, the automotive industry and statistics. He’s combined these passions by writing about them on CarSalesBase.com. His daily driver is an Alfa Romeo GT 3.2 V6 which he just can't seem to say goodbye to thanks to the mesmerizing exhaust note, despite approaching 300.000km which probably makes this the most experienced GT 3.2 in the world. You can find all his articles Here.
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6 Comments

  1. What seems to be a bit of a riddle wrapped into an enigma is how successful Smart is. If you believe Daimler’s monthly report then Smart is doing great with double digit growth figures… If you go to Leftlane, you’ll notice that European Smart sales are already stagnating despite the last edition For2 and For4 being new to the market. Either Smart is doing very well outside the EU, in particular China, or most of the ‘sales’ are channeled through Daimler’s Car2Go program. Perhaps worth wile digging into this. Why am I suggesting this? Well, Daimler’s shareholders have repeatedly shown their disapproval with the Smart division’s performance

    Reply

  2. Hi Eric,
    I agree that Smart has been a disappointment for Daimler since its inception, and indeed it has been losing volume every year since 2008. But if you look at the monthly figures in 2015, I wouldn’t call improvements of 55% in March and April a stagnation.
    Besides that, I think Daimler has made a wise decision to co-develop the new Smart models with Renault, in order to achieve greatly improved economies of scale. This must satisfy the shareholders as it has taken just a small investment to introduce two models simultaneously, giving the brand broader appeal in the market.
    Yes, Smart is still heavily dependent on the European car market for most of its volume, as 60% of its production (92.500 units according to Daimler Annual Report 2014) was sold in our continent last year, and indeed the brand is a huge failure when compared to the success BMW has had with the Mini brand, but it does have its fair share of fans and very loyal customers.
    Giving up on Smart would have meant admitting defeat and as long as Daimler as a manufacturer is still very profitable, that tough decision isn’t likely to be made. But if their fortunes turn around and costs will have to be cut, there won’t be room for sentiment and Smart’s head may be on the chopping block quickly.

    Reply

  3. April 2015 sales are already down compared to March 2015. The big question remains how many ‘sales’ can actually be accounted to Car2Go?

    Reply

    1. Hi Eric,

      March sales are traditionally higher for most models, even for brand-new vehicles like for example the Jeep Renegade. As a result, total European sales in March 2015 were 1.643.607 units, while April was just 1,2 million, which means Smart had a market share of 5,9% in March and 7,4% in April, actually improving in comparison to the rest of the market. That’s why these seasonal fluctuations have to be taken into account when comparing monthly data. Like I said, March and April sales of Smart are both up 55% on last year.
      About your question regarding Car2Go: At this moment, the European Car2Go fleet is 6.750 vehicles, nearly all of them the previous (second) generation Fortwo. The Car2Go program started at the end of 2012, so has been running for 3,5 years. When also accounting for a few replacements, I estimate no more than 3.000 units a year to be accounted for by the carsharing program.

      Reply

  4. Smart dropped its prices because of poor sales. Smart is a classic case how an automaker got stuck on ‘the road once taken’. A boxy, high-drag model emanated from the drawing board with poor ride comfort, unspectacular fuel efficiency and questionable rear-impact safety. One only has to envisage those narrow streets and alleys in cities like Milan, Rome, Paris, Beijing and Tokyo to realize that length is not the real issue, width is. Remarkably enough, both new Smart cars grew substantially wider! The link provides an interesting inside view.

    Reply

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