E-segment

Last updated
2020 Best-Selling
Mercedes-Benz W213 Facelift IMG 5257.jpg
Mercedes-Benz E-Class
5th generation (2017–present)
BMW G30 FL IMG 5351.jpg
BMW 5 Series
7th generation (2016–present)
2018 Audi A6 TDi Quattro Front.jpg
Audi A6
5th generation (2018–present)
2018 Volvo S90 R-Design D4 Automatic 2.0 Front.jpg
Volvo S90
1st generation (2016-present)

The E-segment is the 5th category of the European segments for passenger cars, synonymous with the term executive car. [1] [2] [3]

Contents

E-Segment is a niche in Europe (2-3% penetration in 2010s). As of 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020, E-segment sales account for 2.7%, 2.7%, 2.3% and 2.1% market share in Europe respectively. [4] [5] [6] [7]

Characteristics

Most E-segment cars are sedans/saloons, however several models are also produced in other body styles such as wagons/estates. As of 2021 E-segment cars typically have a length of approx. 4.8m to 5m.

European vs. American classification

The terms E-segment or executive car do not have a one-to-one equivalent in the American car classification. However, if a modern E-segment sedan by a European brand is sold in the U.S., it falls into the category of both mid-size and full-size sedan, usually a mid-size luxury sedan.

The American mid-size sedan classification [note 1] spans both the D-segment and the E-segment. With size brackets of European car segments increasing, the Toyota Camry fell from the E-segment [8] into the D-segment while remaining a mid-size car.

Current models

In 2020 the highest selling E-segment cars in Europe were the Mercedes-Benz E-class, BMW 5 Series, Audi A6, Volvo V90/S90 and Porsche Taycan. [9]

50.000 - 100.000 sales(Best-Selling)

10.000 - 50.000 sales

Fewer than 10.000 sales

Moved to F-segment

Sales figures in Europe

2020
rank
BrandModel20132014201520162017201820192020 % change
(2019–2020)
1 Mercedes-Benz E-Class 106,55999,56584,77199,494127,638117,906107,45370,171Decrease2.svg -35%
2 BMW 5 Series 107,30798,70188,89881,599109,953108,65389,32659,814Decrease2.svg -33%
3 Audi A6 / S6 / RS6 / A6 allroad quattro 82,88384,28395,32993,47978,94471,25883,01255,737Decrease2.svg -33%
4 Volvo S90 / V90 ---10,83455,19356,19240,31523,578Decrease2.svg -42%
5 Porsche Taycan ------74612,332Increase2.svg +1553%
6 Audi Audi A7 / S7 / RS7 8,9868,47310,1969,1206,1118,9358,1855,807Decrease2.svg -29%
7 Tesla Model S 3,9118,84115,16911,56416,02617,3868,6355,562Decrease2.svg -36%
8 Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class 15,13910,28912,6007,8035,1169,1138,4283,895Decrease2.svg -54%
9 Lexus ES -----2173,8183,699Decrease2.svg -3%
10 Jaguar XF 20,41420,60916,41616,02412,50110,3755,9352,450Decrease2.svg -59%
11 BMW 6 Series 8,5497,8807,3705,7325,61010,7035,3622,060Decrease2.svg -62%
12 Maserati Ghibli 3394,2384,6444,1242,9812,5341,7231,006Decrease2.svg -42%
13 Polestar Polestar 1 ------065New
14 Infiniti Q70 33914556048436264214Decrease2.svg -81%
15 Lexus GS 1,9222,0321,3732,0231,5081,0661631Decrease2.svg -99%
16 Genesis G80 -163228131493090Decrease2.svg -100%
BMW 8 Series -----1,299(moved to F-Segment)
Volvo V70 / XC70 40,26046,34849,26330,43651121(replaced by V90 Series)
Chrysler/Lancia 300C/Thema 2,23639228191612
Segment total402,673394,931389,184366,603422,525415,757363,131246,181Decrease2.svg -32%
Source [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17]

Notes:

1. The table includes not only E-segment cars, but also a car fitting the F-segment in terms of size (the 2011 Chrysler 300).

2. Our source of information initial include BMW 8 Series in E-segment, but latter moved to F-segment.

Market share in Europe

2019 - Sales of large cars in Europe were down 13% in 2019 to 362,300 units, a new record low annual volume for this class, which now accounts for 2.3% of the total European car market, down from 2.7% in 2018. [18]

2020 - The large cars segment in Europe is down 32% in 2020, to just over 246,000 deliveries. This means the segment loses ground on the overall market again and now accounts for just 2.1% of the total European car market, down from 2.3% in 2019. With the exception of a newcomer, the entire top-8, which accounts for nearly 91% of the segment’s sales, drops by 29% or more and thus falls behind the overall market. Only one single model in the class manages to keep its decline limited to single digits. [19]

See also

Notes

  1. Also, the American full-size sedan classification does not have any equivalent in the European classification with the exception of full-size luxury cars which belong to the F-segment. As European segments denote both size and equipment level, American full-size cars that are not luxury cars simply do not belong to any of the European segments. Considering length only, they would always fall into the F-segment or even exceed its dimensions - with a possible exception of the Toyota Avalon and Nissan Maxima which may or may not be short enough to be considered E-segment (this is as of 2021).

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luxury car</span> Marketing term for a vehicle with increased comfort, amenities, quality, or status

A luxury car is a car that provides above-average to high-end levels of comfort, features, and equipment. Often more expensive materials and surface finishes are used, and buyers expect better build quality. The usually higher pricing and more upscale appearance is often associated with higher social status of the users, compared to low and mid-market segment cars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Infiniti</span> Japanese luxury car brand, a subsidiary of Nissan

Infiniti is the luxury vehicle division of the Japanese automaker Nissan. Infiniti officially started selling vehicles on November 8, 1989, in North America. The marketing network for Infiniti-branded vehicles included dealers in over 50 countries in the 2010s. As of 2020, there were 25 markets served by new car dealers. The main markets are North America, China, and the Middle East.

Governments and private organizations have developed car classification schemes that are used for various purposes including regulation, description, and categorization of cars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BMW 3 Series</span> Motor vehicle

The BMW 3 Series is a line of compact executive cars manufactured by the German automaker BMW since May 1975. It is the successor to the 02 Series and has been produced in seven generations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Volkswagen Passat</span> Car model series

The Volkswagen Passat is a series of large family cars (D-segment) manufactured and marketed by the German automobile manufacturer Volkswagen since 1973, and currently in its ninth generation. It has been marketed variously as the Dasher, Santana, Quantum, Magotan, Corsar and Carat. The successive generations of the Passat carry the Volkswagen internal designations B1, B2, etc.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crossover (automobile)</span> Style of motor vehicle

A crossover, crossover SUV, or crossover utility vehicle (CUV) is a type of automobile with an increased ride height that is built on unibody chassis construction shared with passenger cars, as opposed to traditional sport utility vehicles (SUV), which are built on a body-on-frame chassis construction similar to pickup trucks.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Executive car</span> British term for a large car

Executive car is a British term for a large car which is equivalent to the European E-segment and American full-size classifications. Executive cars are larger than compact executive cars, and smaller than luxury saloons / full-size luxury sedans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Compact executive car</span> Car classification

A compact executive car, also known as a compact luxury car, is a premium car larger than a premium compact and smaller than an executive car. Compact executive car is a UK term and a part of the D-segment in the European car classification.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">C-segment</span> European car size classification

The C-segment is the 3rd category of the European segments for passenger cars and is described as "medium cars". It is equivalent to the Euro NCAP "small family car" size class, and the compact car category in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">B-segment</span> Car size classification

The B-segment is the second smallest of the European segments for passenger cars, between the A-segment and C-segment, and commonly described as "small cars". The B-segment is the largest segment in Europe by volume, accounting for 20 percent of total car sales in 2020 according to JATO Dynamics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A-segment</span> Car size classification in Europe

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">D-segment</span> Car size classification in Europe

The D-segment is the 4th category of the European segments for passenger cars, and is described as "large cars".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">F-segment</span> Car size classification in Europe

The F-segment is the 6th category and largest of the European segments for passenger cars, and always belongs to "luxury cars".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BMW X1</span> Line of subcompact luxury crossovers

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Porsche Macan</span> Small SUV

The Porsche Macan is a compact luxury crossover SUV (D-segment) produced by German manufacturer Porsche, a luxury car marque of Volkswagen Group, since February 2014. It is the smallest SUV from Porsche below the Cayenne.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BMW X2</span> Motor vehicle

The BMW X2 is a line of subcompact luxury crossover SUVs produced by BMW since 2017. It was first showcased as the BMW Concept X2 at the 2016 Paris Motor Show, with a production version unveiled in October 2017. Sales commenced in March 2018. It is considered a sportier and less practical alternative to the X1, as is the case with other even-numbered X models with its respective counterparts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">S-segment</span> Car size classification in Europe

S-segment cars are a European car segment class for sports coupés. The equivalent Euro NCAP class is called "roadster sport".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Subcompact crossover SUV</span> Smallest sport utility vehicle vehicle class

Subcompact crossover SUV is an automobile segment used to describe the smallest segment of crossover SUV, a type of sport utility vehicle, below the compact crossover SUV. Subcompact crossover SUVs are usually based on a platform of a subcompact passenger car, although some high-end subcompact crossover models are based on a compact car (C-segment). The segment started to gain traction during early to mid-2010s when the number of models and sales figures rapidly increased in major markets such as North America and Europe. In 2019, around 22 percent of SUV global sales were contributed by subcompact crossovers.

References

  1. "Regulation (EEC) No 4064/89 - Merger Procedure" (PDF). www.europa.eu.
  2. "Impact on the Competitiveness of the European Automotive Industry of Potential FTA with India and ASEAN" (PDF). www.europa.eu. p. 8. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 April 2013.
  3. "Latest Safety Ratings". www.euroncap.com. Retrieved 8 January 2019.
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  8. "Newcomer in der oberen Mittelklasse: Toyota Camry". 14 November 1991.
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  12. "European sales 2015 Premium Large segment". www.carsalesbase.com. March 2021. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
  13. "European sales 2016 Premium Large segment". www.carsalesbase.com. March 2021. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
  14. "European sales 2017 Premium Large segment". www.carsalesbase.com. March 2021. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
  15. "European sales 2018 Premium Large segment". www.carsalesbase.com. March 2021. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
  16. "European sales 2019 Large cars". www.carsalesbase.com. March 2021. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
  17. "European sales 2020 Large cars". www.carsalesbase.com. March 2021. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
  18. "European sales 2019 Large cars". www.carsalesbase.com. March 2021. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
  19. "European sales 2020 Large cars". www.carsalesbase.com. March 2021. Retrieved 22 March 2021.