US sales 2015 first half Premium Compact segment

US premium compact

The Premium Compact segment is not only the fastest growing of the Premium segments, it is one of the fastest growing segments overall with a year-on-year growth of 59%. The largest contributor to this growth is the Audi A3, which has been selling like hot cupcakes ever since Audi introduced the sedan version (as if more evidence was needed that US consumers love sedans). In fact, it grew so quickly that it surpassed the Mercedes-Benz CLA to grab the #1 spot, despite the former being the slightly more established market player. This gives Audi a rare segment lead in the US, a place where usually BMW and Mercedes-Benz duke it out for the top spot, with Audi at best a distant third.

2015 H1 Premium Compact

Speaking of… this time around BMW can’t make it three Germans in the top three, with the bottom spot of the podium occupied by the Civic-based Acura ILX. The shapely small Japanese sedan is doing pretty well post-facelift, though 1% growth isn’t that much to write home about. Still, it’s enough to keep the BMW 1/2 series in fourth spot, though it’s catching quickly with a 63% year-on-year growth.

  1. Wow, I’m surprised to see the BMW 1-series/2-series selling this slow, less than 1.000 a month!
    I know the Americans don’t appreciate a hatchback as much as they do a sedan, but I also know that coupe models like the 2-series find a larger enthusiast crowd in the US than they do in Europe. I had expected the small Beemers to be behind the Audi A3 and Mercedes-Benz CLA sedans, but I hadn’t expected the Acura ILX to outsell it as well. I mean: a rebadged Civic sedan with a plush interior sells over 50% more than a premium German rear-wheel drive hatchback and coupe? That’s very difficult to explain to a European….

  2. With Acura you have to recognize that it is viewed in the US in a similar manner as Audi was viewed in Europe in the 90s – as an upscale version of mass-produced FWD cars – and it has the potential to be equally successful IF the product is right (so, not with the sad RLX, but certainly with the shapely ILX or TLX).

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.