Audi A4, Ford S-Max rise to top of key European segments

Ten of the 24 market segments tracked by Automotive News Europe had new leaders in the first half, a shake-up that was largely due to the arrival of new models such as the latest generations of the Audi A4, Ford S-Max and Mazda MX-5, according to data from UK-based market researcher JATO Dynamics.

The MX-5 rose to No. 1 in Europe's convertible and roadster segment, replacing the former leader, the Volkswagen Golf cabriolet, which slid to fourth place. Also making a strong showing in the segment was the new version of the open-top Smart ForTwo, which finished third in the segment.

The S-Max took control of Europe's large minivan segment, pushing ahead of the previous leader, the VW Sharan. The Sharan also faces a strong challenge for the No. 2 position in the class from the new Renault Espace, which ended the half roughly 800 sales behind the VW minivan. Strong demand for the new models boosted total volume in the large minivan segment by 53 percent, making it the fastest growing vehicle grouping in Europe (see table, below).

The A4 was the clear winner among premium midsize cars, passing the previous leader, the Mercedes-Benz C class, which slipped to third behind the BMW 3 series. Meanwhile, the Mercedes C class overtook the BMW 4 series in the premium coupe class and the BMW 2 series outsold the 4 series to leap to the top of the premium convertible and roadster segment.

Fast-rising new No. 2s

There are also a number of segments where new products experienced huge sales gains that propelled them to the No. 2 spots in their respective market classes, but they were unable to get all the way to the top. One such model was the new BMW 7 series. BMW tripled sales of its flagship sedan to 7,064 units in the first half, but it still finished the period 365 units behind the Mercedes S class for the lead in the upper premium segment.

The Skoda Superb doubled sales to almost 47,808 units in the first half, moving to No. 2 from fifth in the midsize segment. The VW Passat, however, remained the unrivaled midsize segment leader with a massive lead of about 64,000 units over its closest rival.

Europe's No. 1 selling car, the VW Golf, was flat at 261,776 sales in the half but still had a lead of about 137,000 units over the No. 2 model in the compact segment, the new-generation Opel/Vauxhall Astra, despite the model's 31 percent sales increase in the period.

The Ford Mustang almost reached the top of the volume coupe segment, where the aging Renault Megane replaced the Opel/Vauxhall Astra GTC at the top.

The new VW Touran climbed to second in the compact minivan segment, where the Citroen C4 Picasso/Grand Picasso rose to No. 1. The former leader, the Renault Scenic, slid to third.

• Download file, above right, for annual models sales in Europe's market segments.

Other changes

Not all the changes at the top of Europe’s segment were due to the arrival of new products. Three of the new leaders have been on the market for years, which means shake-up was caused by marketing and pricing moves.

In the electric segment, the Renault Zoe, with a sales gain of more than 40 percent, overtook the Nissan Leaf. This happened despite the Japanese model being the second-fastest growing car in the segment following the debut of a longer range battery. The Tesla Model S remained Europe’s No. 3-selling electric car in the half.

The less expensive and more versatile Fiat Panda prevailed over its more-premium sister model, the 500, in the minicar segment. The refreshed Renault Clio took the lead over the aging Ford Fiesta in the subcompact class.