A-segment
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The A-segment is defined by the European Commission[1] as the first segment in the European market car classification (mini cars).
A proper definition does not exist, however the current European ranges of European manufactures is limited to approx. 3,600 millimetres (11 ft 10 in) in length. It corresponds to the City Car segment in British acceptation, and partially to the Subcompact Car segment in North America (although this segment also includes Supermini which are normally bigger, up to 3,900 millimetres (12 ft 10 in) length).
The A-segment is a significant niche in Europe with a 10,4% market share.[2] Fiat Group is the traditional leader of the market with 25% of the sales with the Fiat 500 and Fiat Panda models. Volkswagen Group had a recent success with its new VW Up! which is the third best seller in European market. Together with its twins Seat Mii and Skoda Citigo, the Group is now at the 16% of the segment.
During recent years, the segment opened to premium cars with success, like the Mini and the Fiat 500. General Motors, through its European arm Opel, had also recently entered the segment with a premium model, the Opel Adam, in the fall of 2013 .[3]
Joint Ventures are present in the segment, in order for the manufacturers to save on development and production costs. PSA Peugeot Citroen and Toyota Group produced on the same platform the Peugeot 107, the Citroen C1 and the Toyota Aygo. Fiat Group produces on behalf of Ford the Ford Ka in its facility in Tychy (Poland). It is based on the same platform as the Fiat 500.
During 2013, no new models have been launched in Europe.
| Model | 9 month sales 2013 |
|---|---|
| Fiat 500 | 121,489 |
| Fiat Panda | 118,678 |
| Volkswagen Up! | 97,321 |
| Mini | 73,954 |
| Renault Twingo | 59,840 |
| Smart Fortwo | 49,413 |
| Hyundai i10 | 47,892 |
| Toyota Aygo | 47,870 |
| Citroen C1 | 45,684 |
| Peugeot 107 | 43,952 |
| Others | 260,237 |
A-segment in the United States
As the "segment" terminology became more common in the United States, the New York Times[4] described in 2012 the differences, saying "today’s small cars actually span three main segments in the global vehicle market".
The tiny A-segment cars (currently only 0.8% of US market [4] ) is dominated by European models Mini and Fiat 500. Segment includes the Smart Fortwo, the Scion iQ and the Chevy Spark. They’re extremely short and very light.
The A- and B-segment cars are known in the US as subcompacts.
| Model | 8 month sales 2012 |
|---|---|
| Mini | 30,289 |
| Fiat 500 | 28,566 |
| Smart Fortwo | 6,281 |
| Scion iQ | 6,189 |
| Chevrolet Spark | 4,090 |
| Mitsubishi i-MiEV | 403 |
See also
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References
- ^ "REGULATION (EEC) No 4064/89 - MERGER PROCEDURE" (PDF). Office for Official Publications of the European Communities L-2985 Luxembourg.
- ^ "Europe 9 months 2013: Discover the Top 344 best-selling models!". Best Selling Cars Blog.
- ^ "Lightning-fast start for Opel ADAM: Over 20,000 orders and counting". Opel Media.
- ^ a b "Taking the 'Cheap' Out of the Small Car". The New York Times, September 9, 2012, Phil Patton. Cite error: The named reference "segment" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).