Supermini
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Supermini
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Supermini (also called B-segment across Europe)[2] is a class of automobile larger than a city car but smaller than a small family car.
Cars of this class have increased considerably in size over the years. The Fiat Grande Punto, launched in 2005, was the first car in this category to exceed 4 meters in length, which is why the Italian carmaker Fiat decided to call it "Grande"("Big" in Italian).[citation needed]
In 2008, the best selling cars in the Czech Republic, France, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia and Slovenia were all superminis.[citation needed] Overall in 2008, of the fifteen best selling types of car in Europe, seven were superminis. Superminis are usually available in hatchback body styles.
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Origins of the term [edit]
The term supermini used in relation to automobiles appeared in the British magazine The Economist in 1978. Describing a proposed new car from Lada as "a front wheel drive "supermini" the size (and a near copy) of a Ford Fiesta."[3] In October 1985, the influential Consumers' Association used the term in its annual Car Buying Guide. Because the term was a new one, it gave an explanation at the start of a section entitled Small Hatchbacks. It said small hatchbacks were known popularly as superminis and while similar to the Mini they were more spacious inside and more versatile. This definition made clear that a "supermini" was something larger than a Mini yet smaller than a typical car of the time. In its 1985 report, it included such cars as the Austin Metro, Volkswagen Polo and Ford Fiesta. Smaller or more basic cars were grouped under a Bargain Basement heading and included the Mini, Citroën 2CV, Fiat 126 and Volkswagen Beetle.[citation needed]
The 1986 Car Buying Guide, published in June of that year, was more confident of the term and this time headed the section Small hatchbacks or 'superminis'. The Mini and 2CV were still relegated to the cheaper category of Bargain Basement.[citation needed] By the time of the 1989 Car Buying Guide, there was no longer any need to explain what supermini meant and the title appeared without comment. In its introduction, the Guide said superminis were available as three-door and five-door hatchbacks, and sometimes as saloons with a boot. The Mini and Volkswagen Beetle were still grouped separately, this year under the heading Cheapies.[citation needed]
By 1990, the demand for the cheapest cars, a number of them from low-cost economies in eastern Europe, was fading. For the first time the two or three remaining examples in the new car market, including the original Mini, were grouped under the heading superminis along with the couple of dozen true superminis that now dominated the cheaper end of the market.[citation needed] However, in its separate guide to car reliability in June 1990, the magazine grouped the smallest cars under the heading "Minis and Superminis", indicating that the smallest cars were still perceived as being distinct from the larger and better equipped "Superminis". These smaller cars are now called city cars.[citation needed]
Superminis in Europe [edit]
In 2011, 25% of European sales were B-segment cars, with the biggest global manufacturers taking up less than 50% of sales; the rest of the sales were from the following manufacturers: VW with the Polo, Skoda Fabia, Seat Ibiza and Audi A1; the PSA Peugeot Citroen Group with Peugeot 207, Citroen C3 and Citroen DS3; and the Renault/Nissan, with Renault Clio, Nissan Micra, Dacia Sandero and Nissan Leaf.
| Model | 2011 sales |
|---|---|
| Ford Fiesta | 372.977 |
| Volkswagen Polo | 371.454 |
| Peugeot 206/Peugeot 207 | 329.706 |
| Opel Corsa | 327.717 |
| Renault Clio | 304.106 |
| Fiat Punto | 220.343 |
| Citroen C3 | 181.868 |
| Skoda Fabia | 165.269 |
| Seat Ibiza | 162.631 |
| Toyota Yaris | 141.327 |
| Audi A1 | 97.903 |
| Hyundai i20 | 80.853 |
| Others | 740.335 |
| Model | 4m sales 2012 |
|---|---|
| Ford Fiesta | 121.441 |
| Volkswagen Polo | 114.848 |
| Opel Corsa | 97.136 |
| Renault Clio | 89.177 |
| Peugeot 207 | 71.317 |
| Toyota Yaris | 62.421 |
| Citroen C3 | 59.177 |
| Skoda Fabia | 55.952 |
| Fiat Punto | 54.392 |
| Seat Ibiza | 48.106 |
| Audi A1 | 32.701 |
| Hyundai i20 | 28.420 |
| Others | 294.605 |
Other brands include:
Examples of superminis sold in Asia [edit]
See also [edit]
References [edit]
- ^ "De buitenlandse verkoopcijfers". Auto Week.
- ^ "REGULATION (EEC) No 4064/89 - MERGER PROCEDURE". Office for Official Publications of the European Communities L-2985 Luxembourg.
- ^ Russian Cars - The Saabovitch? 269, London, 1978, p. 89, OCLC 1081684
