A-segment

2024 best-selling

Fiat 500e (2020–present)

Fiat Panda 3rd generation (2011–present)

Toyota Aygo 2nd generation (2014–2021)

Volkswagen Up! 1st generation (2011–2023)

Kia Picanto 3rd generation (2017–present)

The A-segment is the first category in the passenger car classification system defined by the European Commission. It is used for city cars, the smallest category of passenger cars defined.^[1]^[2]^[3]

A-segment sales represent approximately 7–8% of the market in 2010s.^[4]^[5]^[6] It is approximately equivalent to the kei car class in Japan.

Definition

As of 2021, the A-segment category size spans from approximately 2.7 metres (110 in) to 3.7 metres (150 in).^{[citation needed]}

Characteristics

Body styles for A-segment cars in Europe are always hatchbacks. But as crossovers gain popularity, new models may shift to resemble crossovers. Examples of crossover city cars include Suzuki Ignis and Toyota Aygo X. Other body styles such as sedans are not present in this segment because these shapes largely prove impractical at typical A-segment dimensions.

Current models

In 2020 the ten highest selling A-segment cars in Europe were Fiat Panda, Fiat 500, Toyota Aygo, Renault Twingo, Volkswagen Up!, Hyundai i10, Kia Picanto, Peugeot 108, Citroën C1 and Suzuki Ignis. ^[7]

100,000 - 200,000 sales (Best-Selling)

Fiat 500 (2007)
1st generation (2007–present)
Made in Poland
Fiat Panda
3rd generation (2011–present)
Made in Italy

50,000 - 100,000 sales

Volkswagen Up!
1st generation (2011–2023)
Made in Slovakia
Kia Picanto
3rd generation (2017–present)
Made in Russia
Renault Twingo
3rd generation (2014–present)
Made in Slovenia
Hyundai i10
3rd generation (2019–present)
Made in Turkey
Toyota Aygo X
1st generation (2022–present)
Made in Czech Republic

10,000 - 50,000 sales

Suzuki Ignis
2nd generation (2016–present)
Made in India
Citroën C1
2nd generation (2014–2021)
Made in Czech Republic
Peugeot 108
2nd generation (2014–2021)
Made in Czech Republic
Mitsubishi Mirage
6th generation (2012–present)
Made in Thailand
smart EQ fortwo
3rd generation (2016–present)
Made in France
Dacia Spring
1st generation (2021–present)
Made in China

Sales figures in Europe

2021 rank	Brand	Model	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	% change (2020–2021)
1	Fiat	Panda	152,727	152,045	171,377	190,432	187,049	168,094	184,027	145,907	175,950	+25%
2	Fiat	500 (2007)	158,918	180,403	180,005	183,194	189,360	188,448	175,017	141,313	131,723	-10%
3	Toyota	Aygo	57,002	68,874	86,085	84,321	84,588	92,187	99,510	82,711	82,820	0%
4	Volkswagen	Up!	130,039	124,845	105,348	96,836	100,715	97,366	80,048	59,578	69,400	+16%
5	Kia	Picanto	50,524	51,222	54,036	54,982	62,161	74,526	74,305	49,211	59,949	+22%
6	Renault	Twingo	78,432	81,574	95,808	84,766	77,326	86,221	87,383	73,345	58,161	-21%
7	Hyundai	i10	60,324	80,819	86,004	85,385	90,603	83,102	78,791	50,233	56,074	+12%
8	Suzuki	Ignis	-	-	-	1,602	41,166	43,774	38,091	37,568	42,206	+12%
9	Citroën	C1	56,722	53,518	63,695	62,537	53,292	52,020	49,900	40,578	35,897	-12%
10	Peugeot	108	-	31,087	68,522	63,561	55,831	57,257	54,230	43,629	34,689	-20%
11	Mitsubishi	Mirage/Space Star	13,978	22,008	29,547	27,386	30,016	36,105	38,002	35,703	32,662	-9%
12	Smart	Fortwo	65,226	52,059	57,056	69,169	65,800	62,361	77,766	19,576	26,869	+37%
13	Dacia	Spring	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1,724	25,740	+1,393%
14	SEAT	Mii	28,608	24,865	24,298	19,882	15,412	13,031	12,641	7,790	9,428	+21%
15	Smart	Forfour		3,757	39,543	37,133	34,253	34,975	36,736	7,640	8,823	+15%
16	Škoda	Citigo	44,851	40,616	38,735	38,664	35,698	36,450	30,786	14,120	5,264	-63%
17	Renault	Kwid	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	65	439	+575%
18	Suzuki	Celerio	-	894	25,393	26,465	23,417	20,836	13,275	2,035	16	-99%
19	Citroën	C-Zero	-	-	1,075	1,780	1,105	1,247	980	1,839	14	-99%
20	Peugeot	iOn	-	-	1,461	1,881	1,544	1,651	865	333	4	-99%

	Citroën	E-Mehari	-	-	-	569	353	321	154	78	-
	Mitsubishi	i-MiEV	-	-	714	484	447	325	171	57	-
	Opel/Vauxhall	Adam	45,756	54,207	55,278	52,938	48,181	41,817	31,129	5	-
	Mitsubishi	Attrage	-	-	352	168	114	62	88	1	-
	Opel/Vauxhall	Karl/Viva	-	-	28,607	57,458	49,516	48,292	47,504	0	-
	DR Automobiles	Zero	-	-	-	261	174	-	-	0	-
	Lancia/Chrysler	Ypsilon	57,613	62,807	59,501	66,941	-	-	-	-	-
	Ford	Ka	50,012	52,854	48,368	21,333	204	16	-	-	-
	Peugeot	107	55,244	24,356	88	5	1	2	-	-	-
	Chevrolet	Spark	37,268	10,138	479	96	2	3	-	-	-
	Suzuki	Alto	26,821	26,876	5,710	4	2	-	-	-	-
	Suzuki	Splash	15,563	13,232	2,663	11	-	-	-	-	-
	Opel/Vauxhall	Agila	14,020	12,200	2,054	19	1	-	-	-	-
	Toyota	iQ	5,462	3,593	292	172	2	3	-	-	-
	Tata	Indica		345	52	3	-	-	-	-	-
	Nissan	Pixo	3,321	131	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
	DR Automobiles	DR1	21	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
	Daihatsu	Cuore/Charade	5	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
	Volkswagen	Fox	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
	Abarth	500	-	-	-	-	18,499	20,570	19,157	-	-
Segment total			1,208,431	1,229,352	1,332,146	1,330,438	1,266,832	1,261,062	1,230,556	814,974	856,129	-5%
Source			^[8]	^[9]	^[10]	^[11]	^[12]	^[13]	^[14]	^[15]	^[16]

Market share in Europe


Year	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021^[16]
Share	8.1%	8%	7.7%	6.8%	7.3%

2019 - In 2019, sales of minicars were down 2% compared to a total market gain of 1% which means this segment now makes up 7.7% of the total European car market at 1.21 million sales, down from 8% in 2018. And with margins on minicars under pressure due to increased costs to comply with stricter safety and emissions standards, manufacturers are scaling back investments in to minicars or switching to an EV-only strategy. ^[17]

In Italy, A-segment cars represented 16.4% of car sales in the first half of 2019.^[18]

2020 - European sales of minicars were down by a third in 2020, which translates to nearly 400,000 fewer sales and means the segment loses market share as the overall market is down 24%. As a result, this segment now makes up 6.8% of the total European car market, down from 7.7% last year. And their share is expected to shrink further in coming years, as manufacturers are pulling out of this segment or switching their models to EV-only. This is a result of increasing costs to comply with stricter safety and especially emissions standards, which makes minicars nearly unprofitable, especially considering that for most models from European brands this is the only market. ^[19]

Market share in other countries

In the United States, minicar segment cars represented 0.5% of the market share.

In 2020 the highest selling minicar segment cars in the U.S. were the Chevrolet Spark, Mitsubishi Mirage and Mini Cooper.^[20]

In India, historically the A-segment cars had the highest sales. Sales have been in decline in recent years,^[21] falling from 70,000 sales per month in 2014 to 47,000 sales per month in 2016.^[22]

As of 2019, several A-segment cars had successes outside Europe, such as Hyundai Grand i10, Honda Brio, Kia Picanto, Tata Tiago, Toyota Wigo, Suzuki Celerio, Suzuki Wagon R, Suzuki/Maruti Alto, Ford Figo, Smart ForTwo, Citroën C1, Peugeot 108, and modern Fiat 500.

References

^ "European classification for vehicle category, based in UNECE standards". European Alternative Fuels Observatory. Archived from the original on 12 December 2019. Retrieved 10 March 2019.
^ Patton, Phil (28 March 2005). "AUTOS ON MONDAY/Design; Little Cars in the Big Apple: Still Only a Good Idea". The New York Times. Retrieved 2 March 2010. In Europe, the "city car" is a well-understood concept
^ Ruppert, James. "Motoring: The City car to be seen in". The Independent. Archived from the original on 6 November 2012. Retrieved 1 March 2010. (City cars) are meant to be cheap, small, easy to park and yet practical, with good manners on the open road
^ "European sales 2018 Minicars". www.carsalesbase.com. February 2019. Retrieved 8 February 2021.
^ "European sales 2019 Minicars". www.carsalesbase.com. February 2020. Retrieved 15 July 2020.
^ "European sales 2020 Minicars". www.carsalesbase.com. February 2021. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
^ "European sales 2020 Minicars". www.carsalesbase.com. February 2021. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
^ "European sales 2013 Minicar segment". www.carsalesbase.com. February 2014. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
^ "European sales 2014 Minicar segment". www.carsalesbase.com. February 2015. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
^ "European sales 2015 Minicar segment". www.carsalesbase.com. February 2016. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
^ "European sales 2016 Minicar segment". www.carsalesbase.com. February 2017. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
^ "European sales 2017 Minicar segment". www.carsalesbase.com. February 2018. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
^ "European sales 2018 Minicar segment". www.carsalesbase.com. February 2018. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
^ "European sales 2019 Minicars". www.carsalesbase.com. February 2020. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
^ "European sales 2020 Minicars". www.carsalesbase.com. February 2021. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
^ ^a ^b "2021 Best Selling Subcompact Cars In Europe (All Models Ranked)". www.goodcarbadcar.net. 26 April 2022. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
^ "European sales 2019 Minicars". www.carsalesbase.com. February 2020. Retrieved 15 July 2020.
^ "Car market share in Italy from January to June 2019, by segment". www.statista.com. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
^ "European sales 2020 Minicars". www.carsalesbase.com. February 2021. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
^ "US car sales analysis 2020 – Minicars". www.carsalesbase.com. February 2019. Retrieved 8 February 2021.
^ "India: A-segment cars biggest market share loser, compact SUVs leading gainer". www.ihsmarkit.com. 14 June 2016. Retrieved 15 December 2018.
^ "Segment shift: Indian car buyers now prefer premium". www.carwale.com. 14 April 2017. Retrieved 15 December 2018.

Euro Car Segment^[1]	Euro NCAP Class	US EPA Size Class^[2]	Other common segment terms	Examples
Car market segments and legal classifications v t e
Quadricycle	—	—	Microcar Bubble car	Bond Bug, Smart ForTwo, Isetta, Mega City, Renault Twizy
A-segment mini cars	Supermini	Minicompact	City car Kei car (JP)	Chevrolet Spark, Fiat 500, Kia Picanto, Suzuki Alto, Renault Twingo
B-segment small cars	Supermini	Subcompact	—	Ford Fiesta, Kia Rio, Opel Corsa, Peugeot 208, Volkswagen Polo
C-segment medium cars	Small family car	Compact	—	Honda Civic, Hyundai Elantra, Ford Focus, Toyota Corolla, Volkswagen Golf
C-segment medium cars	Small family car	Compact	Subcompact executive	Acura ILX, Audi A3, BMW 1 Series, Lexus CT, Mercedes-Benz A-Class
D-segment large cars	Large family car	Mid-size	—	Ford Mondeo, Toyota Camry, Peugeot 508, Mazda6, Volkswagen Passat
D-segment large cars	Large family car	Mid-size	Compact executive (U.K.) Entry-level luxury (U.S.)	Alfa Romeo Giulia, Audi A4, BMW 3 Series, Lexus IS, Mercedes-Benz C-Class
E-segment executive cars	Executive	Large	Full-size car (U.S.)	Chevrolet Impala, Chrysler 300, Ford Taurus, Holden Caprice, Toyota Avalon
E-segment executive cars	Executive		Mid-size luxury (U.S.)	Audi A6, BMW 5 Series, Cadillac CT5, Mercedes-Benz E-Class, Tesla Model S
F-segment luxury cars	—		Full-size luxury (U.S.) Luxury saloon (U.K.)	Genesis G90, BMW 7 Series, Jaguar XJ, Mercedes-Benz S-Class, Porsche Panamera
S-segment sports coupés	—	—	Supercar	Bugatti Chiron, LaFerrari, Lamborghini Aventador, Pagani Huayra, Porsche 918 Spyder
	—	—	Convertible	Chevrolet Camaro, Mercedes-Benz CLK, Volvo C70, Volkswagen Eos, Opel Cascada
	Roadster sports	Two-seater	Roadster Sports car	BMW Z4, Lotus Elise, Mazda MX-5, Porsche Boxster, Mercedes-Benz SLK
M-segment multi purpose cars	Small MPV	Minivan	Mini MPV	Citroën C3 Picasso, Kia Venga, Ford B-Max, Opel Meriva, Fiat 500L
	Small MPV		Compact MPV	Chevrolet Orlando, Ford C-Max, Suzuki Ertiga, Renault Scénic, Volkswagen Touran
	Large MPV		People mover (AU)	Chrysler Pacifica (RU), Kia Carnival, Renault Espace, Toyota Sienna, Citroën C4 Grand Picasso
J-segment sport utility cars	Small off-road 4x4	Small SUV	Mini 4x4 (U.K.) Mini SUV (U.S.)	Daihatsu Terios, Ford EcoSport, Jeep Renegade, Peugeot 2008, Suzuki Jimny
	Small off-road 4x4	Small SUV	Compact 4x4 (U.K.) Compact SUV	Tesla Model Y, Toyota RAV4, Ford Escape, Honda CR-V, Kia Sportage
	Large off-road 4x4	Standard SUV	Large 4x4 (U.K., AU) Mid-size SUV (U.S.)	Ford Edge, Hyundai Santa Fe, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Volkswagen Touareg, Volvo XC90
	Large off-road 4x4	Standard SUV	Full-size SUV (U.S.) Large 4x4 (U.K.) Upper Large SUV (AU)	Lincoln Navigator, Range Rover, Chevrolet Suburban, Toyota Land Cruiser, Mercedes-Benz GLS

^ "Case No COMP/M.1406 - Hyundai / Kia: Regulation (EEC) No 4064/89 Merger Procedure: Article 6(1)(b) Non-opposition" (PDF). Office for Official Publications of the European Communities. 17 March 1999. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
^ 40 CFR 600.315-08

[1] "European classification for vehicle category, based in UNECE standards". European Alternative Fuels Observatory. Archived from the original on 12 December 2019. Retrieved 10 March 2019.

[2] Patton, Phil (28 March 2005). "AUTOS ON MONDAY/Design; Little Cars in the Big Apple: Still Only a Good Idea". The New York Times. Retrieved 2 March 2010. In Europe, the "city car" is a well-understood concept

[3] Ruppert, James. "Motoring: The City car to be seen in". The Independent. Archived from the original on 6 November 2012. Retrieved 1 March 2010. (City cars) are meant to be cheap, small, easy to park and yet practical, with good manners on the open road

[4] "European sales 2018 Minicars". www.carsalesbase.com. February 2019. Retrieved 8 February 2021.

[5] "European sales 2019 Minicars". www.carsalesbase.com. February 2020. Retrieved 15 July 2020.

[6] "European sales 2020 Minicars". www.carsalesbase.com. February 2021. Retrieved 24 February 2021.

[7] "European sales 2020 Minicars". www.carsalesbase.com. February 2021. Retrieved 24 February 2021.

[8] "European sales 2013 Minicar segment". www.carsalesbase.com. February 2014. Retrieved 8 April 2021.

[9] "European sales 2014 Minicar segment". www.carsalesbase.com. February 2015. Retrieved 8 April 2021.

[10] "European sales 2015 Minicar segment". www.carsalesbase.com. February 2016. Retrieved 8 April 2021.

[11] "European sales 2016 Minicar segment". www.carsalesbase.com. February 2017. Retrieved 8 April 2021.

[12] "European sales 2017 Minicar segment". www.carsalesbase.com. February 2018. Retrieved 8 April 2021.

[13] "European sales 2018 Minicar segment". www.carsalesbase.com. February 2018. Retrieved 8 April 2021.

[14] "European sales 2019 Minicars". www.carsalesbase.com. February 2020. Retrieved 8 April 2021.

[15] "European sales 2020 Minicars". www.carsalesbase.com. February 2021. Retrieved 8 April 2021.

[:0-16] "2021 Best Selling Subcompact Cars In Europe (All Models Ranked)". www.goodcarbadcar.net. 26 April 2022. Retrieved 19 December 2023.

[17] "European sales 2019 Minicars". www.carsalesbase.com. February 2020. Retrieved 15 July 2020.

[statista.com-18] "Car market share in Italy from January to June 2019, by segment". www.statista.com. Retrieved 1 March 2021.

[19] "European sales 2020 Minicars". www.carsalesbase.com. February 2021. Retrieved 24 February 2021.

[20] "US car sales analysis 2020 – Minicars". www.carsalesbase.com. February 2019. Retrieved 8 February 2021.

[ihsmarkit.com-21] "India: A-segment cars biggest market share loser, compact SUVs leading gainer". www.ihsmarkit.com. 14 June 2016. Retrieved 15 December 2018.

[carwale.com-22] "Segment shift: Indian car buyers now prefer premium". www.carwale.com. 14 April 2017. Retrieved 15 December 2018.

[23] "Case No COMP/M.1406 - Hyundai / Kia: Regulation (EEC) No 4064/89 Merger Procedure: Article 6(1)(b) Non-opposition" (PDF). Office for Official Publications of the European Communities. 17 March 1999. Retrieved 12 July 2021.

[24] 40 CFR 600.315-08

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A-segment

Definition

Characteristics

Current models

Sales figures in Europe

Market share in Europe

Market share in other countries

See also

References

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