European sales 2014 first half Premium midsized and compact SUV segment

Premium midsized SUV’s were just as popular in the first half of this year as they were in the same period last year. However, that doesn’t mean the ranking is stable as well. While the BMW X3 had the segment crown in 2012 and 2013, the Range Rover Evoque was the number one seller in the first quarter of 2014, leaving the X3 down in fourth position. But in the second quarter, the Audi Q5 was the best seller, while the Evoque was pushed down into fourth spot, behind the X3 again. Surprisingly, the X3 was back on top of the segment again in June, for the first time since September 2013.

The only consistent seller this year is the Volvo XC60, up a cool 34% on last year and second place in both the first and second quarter of the year. It is less than 650 sales behind the year-to-date leader Q5, giving the already six year old model, although recently updated, a shot at the segment crown by the end of the year. That would be a late vindication for Volvo’s second best selling model, that was introduced at the same time as the Q5, which has consistently outsold its Swedish opponent.

The Mercedes-Benz GLK and Land Rover Freelander lose ground as they age and are set to be replaced in the next couple of years. They risk being overtaken by the newly introduced Porsche Macan and BMW X4, as especially the Macan faces high expectations to make some waves in this segment. With the addition of the Lexus NX, the segment will have grown from seven players in 2013 to ten in 2015.

	PREMIUM MIDSIZED SUV	2014-H1	2013-H1	Change
1.	Audi Q5	30.308	30.300	0%
2.	Volvo XC60	29.667	22.172	34%
3.	Range Rover Evoque	27.647	28.709	-4%
4.	BMW X3	25.335	31.936	-21%
5.	Mercedes-Benz GLK	12.920	15.205	-15%
6.	Land Rover Freelander	10.466	12.799	-18%
7.	Porsche Macan	5.456	0	new
8.	BMW X4	792	0	new
9.	Infiniti QX50/EX	63	62	2%
	Segment total	142.591	141.121	1%

 

Premium Compact Crossover segment

The premium compact SUV segment is up an impressive 24% in the first half of 2014 and is closing in on the segment above, although most of that increase comes from the introduction of a new model to the segment. Whereas after the first quarter all three of the existing models showed double digit increases, both the Audi Q3 and the BMW X1 lost ground by selling fewer models in the second quarter of 2014 than they did in the same period in 2013. The Mini Countryman and Paceman duo continued to impress and are now challenging the X1 for second spot, less than 250 units behind. In fact, the Countryman/Paceman outsold their BMW-group sibling every month in the second quarter.

However, it remains to be seen if any of these two manages to secure that number two position in the second half of the year, as the Mercedes-Benz GLA is picking up steam. In June, its fourth full month of sales, the GLA already was within 1.000 sales of the segment’s second place and the model will continue to improve in the next few months.

For 2015, it will be a close battle between the four players in this segment and it will be hard to predict who will come up on top. It will be safe to say that if both of these segments would be combined, the small crossovers would take the top-4 positions next year.

	PREMIUM COMPACT SUV	2014-H1	2013-H1	Change
1.	Audi Q3	41.066	38.990	5%
2.	BMW X1	33.092	32.040	3%
3.	Mini Countryman/Paceman	32.753	29.063	13%
4.	Mercedes-Benz GLA	16.928	0	new
	Segment total	123.839	100.093	24%

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