Photo credit: Stéphane Capela, Turbo.frSmall SUV’s and crossovers are still the hottest segment after the first six months of 2014, although the growth rate has slowed as two of the hottest new entrants started sales in the second quarter of last year.
No changes in the top-5 ranking since the first quarter means the Renault Captur is still firmly in the lead, but its superiority has shown some cracks. The Peugeot 2008 outsold its French competitor in May, before the Captur struck back with a record month of June, topping 20.000 units for the first time ever, which is almost double the model’s selling rate in the first two months of the year.
Similarly, the Dacia Duster was outsold by the Opel/Vauxhall Mokka for the second time this year in May, but the Duster has held on to its podium spot thanks to excellent performances in April and especially May, when it even outsold the 2008.
The traditional leader Nissan Juke is still stuck in fifth place and losing ground, as the facelifted version has only just hit European showrooms, but since the exterior changes are only minor and the competition has intensified, I don’t see the Juke get back onto the segment podium anytime soon.
We welcome the Ford Ecosport as a new entrant to the segment this quarter, although it’s still far off from its competitors. Considering the Ecosport is less refined than the others, as it was developed for countries like Brazil and India in the first place, I expect this segment to remain a five-horse-race this year, as new entrants from brands like Jeep (Renegade), Fiat (500X) and Honda (HR-V) will hit showrooms too late to make a mark this year. However, next year will be interesting to watch, as I have high expectations of especially the Fiat-Jeep twins.
Amazingly, the Korean brands have completely dropped the ball by arriving way too late in this popular segment, while they were one of the pioneers of the midsized-crossover segment. This probably is due to the fact that despite the segment’s rapid growth in Europe, it’s still a relatively minor segment worldwide. However, the previously ailing Renault-Samsung brand is currently enjoying long-awaited successes in Hyundai-Kia’s home market with the Samsung QM3, a rebadged Captur. That should give them something to think about.
Volkswagen is almost traditionally a latecomer to new segments, as it did with the Touran and Tiguan, and the small crossover segment is no different. The Up!-based Taigun won’t be available until 2016.
| SMALL SUV | ||||
| 2014-H1 | 2013-H1 | Change | ||
| 1. | Renault Captur | 86.859 | 17.919 | 385% |
| 2. | Peugeot 2008 | 73.508 | 11.336 | 548% |
| 3. | Dacia Duster | 66.027 | 47.081 | 40% |
| 4. | Opel/Vauxhall Mokka | 62.060 | 37.726 | 65% |
| 5. | Nissan Juke | 50.224 | 57.947 | -13% |
| 6. | Suzuki SX4 | 10.215 | 15.206 | -33% |
| 7. | Chevrolet Trax | 8.531 | 3.629 | 135% |
| 8. | Suzuki Jimny | 5.194 | 5.513 | -6% |
| 9. | Ford Ecosport | 2.875 | 0 | new |
| 10. | Fiat Sedici | 1.533 | 3.309 | -54% |
| 11. | Lada Niva | 690 | 795 | -13% |
| Segment total | 280.857 | 182.542 | 54% |
Click on any model to see its annual sales from 1997-2013 and monthly sales in 2012, 2013 and 2014, or use the dropdown menu in the top right of this site. Sources: Manufacturers, ANDC, JATO Dynamics.