S-segment cars are a
European car spotter for ''sport cars''. The cars are often described as
sports car
A sports car is a car designed with an emphasis on dynamic performance, such as handling, acceleration, top speed, the thrill of driving and racing capability. Sports cars originated in Europe in the early 1900s and are currently produced by ...
s and the equivalent
Euro NCAP
The European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP) is a European voluntary car safety performance assessment programme (i.e. a New Car Assessment Program) based in Leuven (Belgium) formed in 1996, with the first results released in February ...
class is called "roadster sport".
Characteristics
S-segment cars have a sporting appearance and are usually designed to have superior
handling and/or straight-line acceleration compared to other segments. The most common body styles for S-segment cars are
coupé
A coupe or coupé (, ) is a passenger car with a sloping or truncated rear roofline and two doors.
The term ''coupé'' was first applied to horse-drawn carriages for two passengers without rear-facing seats. It comes from the French past parti ...
and
convertible
A convertible or cabriolet () is a passenger car that can be driven with or without a roof in place. The methods of retracting and storing the roof vary among eras and manufacturers.
A convertible car's design allows an open-air driving expe ...
. Rear passenger accommodation is not a priority for S-segment cars, therefore many models are either two-seat cars or have a
2+2 layout with relatively cramped rear seating.
Most recent S-segment cars use the commonplace front-engine design (as either an
FF layout
In automotive design, a front-engine, front-wheel-drive (FWD) layout, or FF layout, places both the internal combustion engine and driven roadwheels at the front of the vehicle.
Usage implications
Historically, this designation was used reg ...
,
FR layout
In automotive design, a FR, or front-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout is one where the Internal combustion engine, engine is Front-engine design, located at the front of the vehicle and rear-wheel-drive, driven wheels are located at the rear via a ...
or
F4 layout
In automotive design, an F4, or front-engine, four-wheel drive (4WD) layout places the internal combustion engine at the front of the vehicle and drives all four roadwheels. This layout is typically chosen for better control on many surfaces, a ...
), however the majority of cars with a
Mid-engine design
In automotive engineering, a mid-engine layout describes the placement of an automobile engine in front of the rear-wheel axles, but behind the front axle.
History
The mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive format can be considered the original layout ...
or
rear-engine design
In automobile design, a rear-engine design layout places the engine at the rear of the vehicle. The center of gravity of the engine itself is behind the rear axle. This is not to be confused with the center of gravity of the whole vehicle, as a ...
belong to the S-segment.
Current models
The five highest selling S-segment cars in Europe are the Mazda MX-5, Porsche 911, Ford Mustang and Porsche Boxster/Cayman.
File:2016 Mazda MX-5 Sport NAV 1.5 Front.jpg, Mazda MX-5
The Mazda MX-5 is a lightweight two-passenger roadster sports car manufactured and marketed by Mazda with a front mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout. The convertible is marketed as the or in Japan, and as the Mazda Miata () in the United St ...
(1989–present)
File:2019 Porsche 911 Carrera S S-A 3.0 Front.jpg, Porsche 911
The Porsche 911 (pronounced ''Nine Eleven'' or in german: Neunelfer) is a two-door 2+2 high performance rear-engined sports car introduced in September 1964 by Porsche AG of Stuttgart, Germany. It has a rear-mounted flat-six engine and origin ...
(1963–present)
File:2019 Ford Mustang GT 5.0 facelift.jpg, Ford Mustang
The Ford Mustang is a series of American automobiles manufactured by Ford. In continuous production since 1964, the Mustang is currently the longest-produced Ford car nameplate. Currently in its sixth generation, it is the fifth-best selli ...
(1964–present)
File:2018 Porsche 718 Cayman GTS 2.5.jpg, Porsche Cayman Cayman may refer to
* Cayman Islands, an overseas territory of the United Kingdom
** Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac, or Little Cayman, three islands that are part of the Cayman Islands
* , a British frigate in service with the Royal Navy from 1944 to 19 ...
(2005–present)
European sales figures
In 2014, the five highest selling coupé models were the
BMW 4 Series
The BMW 4 Series is a range of compact executive cars manufactured by BMW since 2013. The 4 Series was created when BMW spun off the 2-door models (coupé and convertible) of the 3 Series into a separate series. The 4 Series is currently in its ...
,
Opel Astra GTC,
BMW 2 Series
The BMW 2 Series is a range of subcompact executive cars (C-segment) manufactured by BMW since 2014. The 2 Series was created when BMW spun-off the 2-door models (coupé and convertible) of the BMW 1 Series into a separate series.
The 2 Seri ...
,
Renault Mégane Coupé and
Mercedes-Benz C-Class (W204)
The Mercedes-Benz C-Class (W204) is the third generation of the Mercedes-Benz C-Class. It was manufactured and marketed by Mercedes-Benz in sedan/saloon (2007–2014), station wagon/estate (2008–2014) and coupé (2011–2015) bodystyles, with ...
.
The five highest selling convertible models in 2014 were the
Fiat 500C
The Fiat 500 is an A-segment, A-segment city car manufactured and marketed by the Fiat subdivision of Stellantis since 2007. It is available in hatchback coupé and convertible#Variations, fixed-profile convertible body styles, over a single gen ...
,
Mini Hatch
The Mini Hatch, stylised as MINI Hatch (or MINI Hardtop in the U.S.), also sold as Mini Cooper, Mini One, or simply called the (BMW) Mini, are a family of retro-styled two-door supermini hatchback and convertible; and (from 2014) a longer, sub ...
,
BMW 4 Series (F32)
The first generation of the BMW 4 Series consists of the BMW F32 (coupé version), BMW F33 (convertible version) and BMW F36 (five-door liftback version, marketed as 'Gran Coupé') compact executive cars. The F32/F33/F36 was produced from 2014 to ...
,
Volkswagen Beetle (A5)
The Volkswagen Beetle (also sold as the Volkswagen Käfer, Volkswagen Coccinelle, Volkswagen Maggiolino, Volkswagen Fusca in some countries) is a small family car manufactured and marketed by Volkswagen introduced in 2011 for the 2012 model yea ...
and
Volkswagen Golf Mk6
The Volkswagen Golf Mk6 (code named ''Typ 5K'') is a compact car, the sixth generation of the Volkswagen Golf and the successor to the Volkswagen Golf Mk5. It was unveiled at the Paris Motor Show in October 2008 for the 2009 model year. Volkswag ...
.
See also
*
Euro Car Segment Excepting those of the Europe-wide safety assessment programme Euro NCAP, vehicle segments in Europe do not have formal characterization or regulations. Although the definition is vague, there is little overlap between segments A–F based on weight ...
*
Car classifications
Governments and private organizations have developed car classification schemes that are used for various purposes including regulation, description, and categorization of cars.
The International Standard ISO 3833-1977 ''Road vehicles – Type ...
*
Coupé
A coupe or coupé (, ) is a passenger car with a sloping or truncated rear roofline and two doors.
The term ''coupé'' was first applied to horse-drawn carriages for two passengers without rear-facing seats. It comes from the French past parti ...
*
Convertible
A convertible or cabriolet () is a passenger car that can be driven with or without a roof in place. The methods of retracting and storing the roof vary among eras and manufacturers.
A convertible car's design allows an open-air driving expe ...
*
Grand tourer
A grand tourer (GT) is a type of car that is designed for high speed and long-distance driving, due to a combination of performance and luxury attributes. The most common format is a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive two-door coupé with either ...
*
Muscle car
Muscle car is a description according to '' Merriam-Webster Dictionary'' that came to use in 1966 for "a group of American-made two-door sports coupes with powerful engines designed for high-performance driving." The '' Britannica Dictionary'' ...
*
Sports car
A sports car is a car designed with an emphasis on dynamic performance, such as handling, acceleration, top speed, the thrill of driving and racing capability. Sports cars originated in Europe in the early 1900s and are currently produced by ...
*
Supercar
A supercar – also called exotic car – is a loosely defined description of street-legal, high-performance sports cars. Since the 2010s, the term hypercar has come into use for the highest performing supercars. Supercars commonly serve as t ...
References
{{Automobile configuration
Euro car segments