The compact car segment in Europe has grown by 3% in 2016, half the growth of the overall market at +6.2% and equal to the subcompact car segment, which remains Europe’s largest segment ahead of this one. Expectedly, the dominant leader of the segment Volkswagen Golf drops back below half a million sales after two years, due to increasing pressure of fresh rivals. The main culprit to the Golf’s demise is the Opel/Vauxhall Astra, movin up from fifth place to #2 for the first time since 2011 thanks to a 30% sales increase on last year, topping a quarter million sales also for the first time since 2011. The bang-for-your-bucks Skoda Octavia holds on to its third place with sales up 5%, helped by the 9% loss for the Ford Focus, dropping from 2nd place to #4. The Peugeot 308 loses a similar share of 9% and drops a place to #5 after topping 200,000 sales for only one year.
Thanks to the full availability of the station wagon version of its new generation in the last quarter, the Renault Megane recovers from a 20% loss in Q1 to a 20% increase for the full year, jumping two places to #6, but more impressive is its 4th place in Q4, outselling both the Focus and the 308, a sign that it may challenge the Octavia for a podium position in 2017. However, the Octavia will be facelifted this year, giving it double headlights very similar to the previous generation Mercedes-Benz E-Class. Holding on to 6th place is the Octavia’s sibling Seat Leon, followed by the Toyota Auris with almost stable sales.
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