The Audi A3 has built up a big lead over compact premium rivals from BMW and Mercedes.
Audi extended its lead over compact premium rivals from BMW and Mercedes last month.
The A3 outsold its closest rival by 18,397 units after seven months compared with a lead of 15,293 at the end of the first half, based on preliminary figures from market researcher Dataforce.
A3 sales were up 15 percent after seven months to 66,366.
During the same period, BMW has passed Mercedes, giving the 1 Series a slim 742 lead over the A-Class through July.
After seven months, 1-Series sales were up 37 percent while A-Class sales were down 1.9 percent, according to data representing 90 percent of sales in the European Union, the EFTA countries and the U.K.
With a volume of 264,282 after seven months, the compact premium class was Europe's third-largest premium segment after midsize SUVs and compact SUVs.
EVs continue to gain
Big gains by the Tesla Model Y (+216 percent), the VW ID4 and ID3 (+98 percent and +91 percent, respectively) and continued strong demand for the MG4 boosted overall European battery-electric vehicle sales by 45 percent to 931,381 through July.
Combined sales of the Model Y and Tesla Model 3 accounted for 17.6 percent of all battery-electric vehicle sales after seven months.
The MG4 has added 33,763 sales to the BEV total so far this year. The Chinese model from SAIC was the No. 6-selling BEV in Europe through July. The MG4 was eighth in March, rose to seventh in April and climbed to sixth place in May.
The SAIC brand's fast-rising compact BEV could jump into the top five because it was only 618 sales behind the Fiat New 500 after seven months.
PHEVs rise
Plug-in hybrid sales were up 4.4 percent after seven months, which is an improvement over the 1.8 percent rise the segment had at the end of the first half.
Helping to prop up plug-in hybrids is demand for Europe's best-selling model equipped with the powertrain, the Ford Kuga PHEV, which recorded a 14 percent increase to 23,926 units after seven months.
The Nos. 2, 3, 5 models in the segment, the Lynk & CO 01, Volvo XC60 and Hyundai Tucson, respectively, had sales-percentage gains of triple or double digits during the period.
