The European midsize SUV segment is unique because it’s the only premium segment that Audi, Mercedes or BMW doesn’t lead in Europe. Volvo has topped the segment with the first-generation XC60 and hopes to stay ahead thanks to the arrival of the second-generation model which has already started selling very well.
At its launch preview, Volvo R&D head, Henrik Green said the first XC60, Volvo Cars best-selling global model, was the brand’s most profitable car.
The new Audi Q5, which went on sale early this year, saw sales dip in the first six months on the back of supply constraints from Audi’s new factory in Mexico. Supply now seems to be flowing and the SUV remains Europe’s No. 3-selling model in the segment. The BMW X3 lost sales ahead of its replacement.
The arrival of the new X3 recently means the segment is one of the freshest in the industry, boasting newcomers such as the Alfa Romeo Stelvio, Range Rover Velar, Jaguar F-Pace and Mercedes GLC Coupe.
The Audi Q4, a rival to the GLC Coupe and the BMW X4, arrives in 2019. The Porsche Macan, Lexus NX and Land Rover Discovery Sport, which all launched in 2014, are now the oldest models in the sector’s top 10.
The segment is a lucrative one for manufacturers. Automakers keep their specifications high in the segment, BMW for example, won’t offer its more affordable two-wheel-drive sDrive version of the new X3 in Europe. Volvo, meanwhile, includes as standard active safety technology such as automatic emergency braking with steering assistance, and a technology it calls Oncoming Lane Mitigation, which steers the car back in lane if it detects a potential head-on collision.
