Midsize Luxury SUV/Crossover Segment
The premium midsized SUV segment in Europe was red-hot in 2015, growing 25% to 366.008 sales as all remaining nameplates but one show volume improvements and two newcomers have stormed up the charts. After flamboyantly taking control of the segment last year, the Volvo XC60 consolidates its leadership by growing only slightly slower than the rest of the segment and blasting past last-year’s record sales for the already 7-year old model. The XC60 has grown by 67% in two years time thanks to its facelift and the introduction of new, four-cylinder engines. The Audi Q5, just as old as the XC60, improves its sales for the third consecutive year, albeit by a more modest 6%. That means the Q5 still increases the gap to the #3 Range Rover Evoque, as that model is up by just 2% as customers were waiting for the facelifted version to arrive in showrooms. When that happened, the Evoque was up 11% in Q4.
The BMW X3 is the only model in the segment that’s not discontinued to lose volume at -5%, and the all-new Land Rover Discovery Sport came very close to X3 sales in the fourth quarter. The only 7-seater in the segment finishes its launch-year in fifth place, but can’t keep up with the sales volume of its cousin Evoque. The BMW X4 and Porsche Macan have been fighting all year, but the X4 beat its rival 7 months out of 12 and comes up on top for the year in 6th place, just 63 units more than the Macan.
No Membership? You’re missing out
Get immediate ad-free access to all our premium content.
