The compact class has been the most important car segment in Europe for decades. But their dominance is waning.
Despite growing competition from the small car the compact class remains the strongest car segment on the European new car market. Last year, 37,5 percent of new registrations fell into this class, according to an analysis by the consulting agency Inovev. In 2019, the market share of the compact models was 38,1 percent.
The middle class remains a stable car segment
The second strongest segment was again the small car class, which was able to increase its market share from 33,4 percent to 34,6 percent. It benefits from the shrinking range in the small car segment as well as from the success of the mini SUV, which not least also attract former compact car buyers. The middle class with around 15 percent market share and the upper middle class with around 6 percent are relatively stable. The upper class also remains at the usual level with 0,7 percent.
In terms of body shape, the sedan in all its variants remains the most important, with a market share of around 55 percent. The SUVs have recently increased their share from 38 percent to 39,3 percent.