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
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 ...
"small family car" size class, and the
compact car
Compact car is a vehicle size class — predominantly used in North America — that sits between subcompact cars and mid-size cars. "Small family car" is a British term and a part of the C-segment in the European car classification. However, p ...
category in the United States.
In 2011, the C-segment had a European
market share
Market share is the percentage of the total revenue or sales in a market that a company's business makes up. For example, if there are 50,000 units sold per year in a given industry, a company whose sales were 5,000 of those units would have a ...
of 23%.
Definition
The European segments are not based on size or weight criteria.
In practice, C-segment cars have been described as having a length of approximately .
As of 2021 C-segment category size span from approx. 4.2m to 4.6m (photo comparison of new compact cars of all brands sorted by length):
* New compact cars comparison with dimensions and boot capacity
* New family cars comparison with dimensions and boot capacity
(some cars from this site include cars in family category which belongs to compact size, like: Mercedes-Benz A-Class, Mazda3, Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla etc.)
As a best reference to C-segment category cars look to this source.
C-segment category cars are good balance between the interior space and compact exterior dimensions.
Characteristics
The most common body styles for C-segment cars in Europe are
hatchback
A hatchback is a car body configuration with a rear door that swings upward to provide access to a cargo area. Hatchbacks may feature fold-down second row seating, where the interior can be reconfigured to prioritize passenger or cargo volume. ...
s, and much less
sedans
A sedan or saloon (British English) is a passenger car in a three-box configuration with separate compartments for an engine, passengers, and cargo.
The first recorded use of the word "sedan" in reference to an automobile body occurred in 19 ...
and
wagons/estates.
Current models
In 2020 the highest selling C-segment cars in Europe were the Volkswagen Golf, Škoda Octavia, Ford Focus, Mercedes A-Class, Toyota Corolla, SEAT León, BMW 1-Series, Audi A3, Peugeot 308, Renault Mégane, Kia Ceed, Opel Astra, Mercedes-Benz CLA and Volkswagen ID.3.
200,000 - 300,000 sales (Best-Selling)
File:2020 Volkswagen Golf Style 1.5 Front.jpg, Volkswagen Golf
The Volkswagen Golf () is a compact car/small family car (C-segment) produced by the German automotive manufacturer Volkswagen since 1974, marketed worldwide across eight generations, in various body configurations and under various nameplates ...
8th generation (2019–present)
100,000 - 200,000 sales
File:Skoda Octavia Combi 2.0 TDI First Edition (IV) – f 02042021.jpg, Škoda Octavia
The Škoda Octavia is a small family car produced by the Czech car manufacturer Škoda Auto since the end of 1996. It shares its name with an earlier model produced between 1959 and 1971. Four generations of the modern-era Octavia model have ...
4th generation (2020–present)
File:Ford Focus 1.0 EcoBoost Hybrid ST-Line (IV, Facelift) – f 24092022.jpg, Ford Focus
The Ford Focus is a compact car (C-segment in Europe) manufactured by Ford Motor Company since 1998. It was created under Alexander Trotman's Ford 2000 plan, which aimed to globalize model development and sell one compact vehicle worldwide. The ...
4th generation (2018–present)
File:2018 Mercedes-Benz A200 AMG Line Premium+ 1.3 Front.jpg, Mercedes-Benz A-Class
The Mercedes-Benz A-Class is a subcompact car produced by the German automobile manufacturer Mercedes-Benz as the brand's entry-level vehicle. The first generation (internally coded W168) was introduced in 1997, the second generation (W169) in ...
4th generation (2018–present)
File:Toyota Corolla Hybrid (E210) IMG 4338.jpg, Toyota Corolla
The is a series of compact cars (formerly subcompact) manufactured and marketed globally by the Toyota Motor Corporation. Introduced in 1966, the Corolla was the best-selling car worldwide by 1974 and has been one of the best-selling cars in ...
12th generation (2019–present)
File:SEAT Leon Mk4 e-Hybrid IMG 4918.jpg, SEAT León
4th generation (2020–present)
File:BMW 120d M Sport (F40) – f 11042021.jpg, BMW 1 Series
The BMW 1 Series is a range of subcompact executive cars (C-segment) manufactured by BMW since 2004. It is the successor to the BMW 3 Series Compact and is currently in its third generation. Positioned as the entry level model in BMW range of pr ...
3rd generation (2019-present)
50,000 - 100,000 sales
File:Audi A3 Sportback 35 TFSI (8Y) – f 02042021.jpg, Audi A3
The Audi A3 is a subcompact executive/small family car (C-segment) manufactured and marketed by the German automaker Audi AG since September 1996, currently in its fourth generation.
The first two generations of the Audi A3 were based on the ...
4th generation (2020–present)
File:2022 - Peugeot 308 III (C) - 068.jpg, Peugeot 308
The Peugeot 308 is a small family car produced by French automaker Peugeot. It was unveiled in June 2007, and launched in September 2007. The 308 replaced the 307, and positioned below the 508 and above the smallest 208.
The 308 is followed by ...
3rd generation (2021-present)
File:Renault Megane IV FL IMG 5425.jpg, Renault Mégane
4th generation (2016–present)
File:2018 Kia Ceed First Edition 1.4 Front.jpg, Kia Ceed
The Kia Ceed (known as the Kia cee'd before 2018) is a compact car produced by the South Korean manufacturer Kia since 2006 exclusively for the European market. The Ceed was first unveiled on 28 September 2006 at the Paris Motor Show. In mid-2007, ...
3rd generation (2018–present)
File:Opel Astra L PHEV Automesse Ludwigsburg 2022 1X7A5888.jpg, Opel/Vauxhall Astra
5th generation (2015–present)
File:Mercedes-Benz C118 IMG 2673.jpg, Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class
The Mercedes-Benz CLA class is a series of luxury compact executive cars manufactured by Mercedes-Benz since 2013. The first generation was a four-door sedan based on the platform of the W176 A-Class and W246 B-Class compact cars, marketed as ...
2nd generation (2019–present)
File:2020 Volkswagen ID.3 1st Front.jpg, Volkswagen ID.3
The Volkswagen ID.3 is a battery electric small family car (C-segment) produced by Volkswagen since 2019. It is the first production car to utilize the MEB platform, and the first model of the ID. series. It was unveiled on 9 September 2019 at ...
1st generation (2019–present)
Sales figures in Europe
Notes:
Jump in segment total sales after 2019. year is because premium cars are included.
From 2013-2018 premium cars had separate count, and are not included in mainstream total sales.
Premium brands and models are marked ''italic''.
Electric cars are included in C-segment from 2020. year.
Market share in Europe
2019 - The compact car segment in Europe sees 5% fewer deliveries in 2019, as Europe’s #2 segment is down to 2.65 million sales, or 16.9% of the total European car market, down from 18% in 2018.
2020 - Sales of compact cars in Europe are down 24% to 2.03 million in 2020, perfectly in line with the overall market. And while Europeans bought more small crossovers than compact cars in the first three quarters of the year, in the full-year score the pecking order is returned to “normal”, with an advantage of 17,000 sales for the compact class. This result is mostly due to a wave of VW ID.3 (self)registrations, especially in December. We expect small crossovers to become Europe’s #2 segment in 2021 by a large margin.
Europe
According to 2011 sales, compact cars are currently the second segment in Europe after the
subcompact
Subcompact car is a North American classification for cars smaller than a compact car. It is broadly equivalent to the B-segment (Europe), supermini (Great Britain) or A0-class (China) classifications.
According to the U.S. Environmental Prot ...
one (which in Europe corresponds to
A-segment +
B-segment
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 ...
), with approximately 3 million units sold.
Because of the
Volkswagen Golf
The Volkswagen Golf () is a compact car/small family car (C-segment) produced by the German automotive manufacturer Volkswagen since 1974, marketed worldwide across eight generations, in various body configurations and under various nameplates ...
's definition and long standing dominance of this class it is often referred to as the "Golf segment" in much of Europe.
Mainstream compact sedans began falling in popularity since 1990s, when Peugeot stopped production of
306
__NOTOC__
Year 306 ( CCCVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Constantius and Valerius (or, less frequently, year 105 ...
in 4-door saloon form, and also sharply declining since 2010s, as well as the reduced sales of 4-door
Ford Focus
The Ford Focus is a compact car (C-segment in Europe) manufactured by Ford Motor Company since 1998. It was created under Alexander Trotman's Ford 2000 plan, which aimed to globalize model development and sell one compact vehicle worldwide. The ...
.
Compact MPVs
During the late 1990s,
compact MPV
Compact MPV (an abbreviation for Compact Multi-Purpose Vehicle) is a vehicle size class for the middle size of MPVs. The Compact MPV size class sits between the mini MPV and large MPV (minivan) size classes.
Compact MPVs remain predominantly a ...
s increased in popularity as a competitor to the compact car, with models such as the
Renault Scenic
Groupe Renault ( , , , also known as the Renault Group in English; legally Renault S.A.) is a French multinational automobile manufacturer established in 1899. The company produces a range of cars and vans, and in the past has manufactured ...
and the
Citroën C4 Picasso becoming popular in Europe.
By the early 2010s, demand for compact MPVs was declining, due to the rise of the
compact SUV
Compact as used in politics may refer broadly to a pact or treaty; in more specific cases it may refer to:
* Interstate compact
* Blood compact, an ancient ritual of the Philippines
* Compact government, a type of colonial rule utilized in British ...
.
International history
After the Second World War, European manufacturers usually featured two vehicle types: small
economy cars that were usually saloons and large
saloons
Saloon may refer to:
Buildings and businesses
* One of the bars in a traditional British pub
* An alternative name for a bar (establishment)
* Western saloon, a historical style of American bar
* The Saloon, a bar and music venue in San Francisc ...
. By the 1960s, the post war economic boom had produced customers who wanted something of intermediate size. These were usually saloons during the 1950s and 1960s.
The world's first
hatchback
A hatchback is a car body configuration with a rear door that swings upward to provide access to a cargo area. Hatchbacks may feature fold-down second row seating, where the interior can be reconfigured to prioritize passenger or cargo volume. ...
, the 1958
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 ...
Austin A40 Farina Countryman model that was a co-development of
BMC and the Italian design house
Pininfarina
Pininfarina S.p.A. (short for Carrozzeria Pininfarina) is an Italian car design firm and coachbuilder, with headquarters in Cambiano, Turin, Italy. The company was founded by Battista "Pinin" Farina in 1930.
On 14 December 2015, the Indian mu ...
at a time when this was unusual. It had a lift up rear window and drop down boot lid. It was also sold as a two-door saloon. It was built in Italy by
Innocenti
Innocenti () was an Italian machinery works, originally established by Ferdinando Innocenti in 1920. Over the years, they produced Lambretta scooters as well as a range of automobiles, mainly of British Leyland origins. The brand was retired in ...
as well as in the UK. For 1965 Innocenti designed a new single-piece rear door for their Combinata version of the Countryman. This top-hinged door used struts to hold it up over a wide cargo opening and was a true hatchback – a model never developed in the home (United Kingdom) market. The Countryman name has 'estate' type associations, and BMC successor company
Rover
Rover may refer to:
People
* Constance Rover (1910–2005), English historian
* Jolanda de Rover (born 1963), Dutch swimmer
* Rover Thomas (c. 1920–1998), Indigenous Australian artist
Places
* Rover, Arkansas, US
* Rover, Missouri, US
...
used the name on
estate car
A station wagon ( US, also wagon) or estate car ( UK, also estate), is an automotive body-style variant of a sedan/saloon with its roof extended rearward over a shared passenger/cargo volume with access at the back via a third or fifth door ( ...
s / Station Wagons so it is largely forgotten. This hatchback layout was further pioneered along with the European switch to front wheel drive
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 ...
with the smaller 1964 (Fiat)
Autobianchi Primula.
The modern C-segment market in Europe can be traced back to the 1968 launch of the
Renault 6
The Renault 6 is a C-segment small family car manufactured and marketed by the French automaker Renault between 1968 and 1986.
The Renault 6 (R6) was launched at the 1968 Paris Motor Show, and was intended to be an upmarket alternative to the Re ...
, the first successful hatchback of this size. The ''hatchback'' bodystyle was first introduced by
Renault
Groupe Renault ( , , , also known as the Renault Group in English; legally Renault S.A.) is a French multinational automobile manufacturer established in 1899. The company produces a range of cars and vans, and in the past has manufactured ...
with the 1964
Renault 16
The Renault 16 (R16) is a D-segment family hatchback produced by French automaker Renault between 1965 and 1980 in Le Havre, France. The Renault 16 was the first French winner of the European Car of the Year award.
Market placement
In the early 1 ...
, which was elected the 1965
Car of the year in Europe. A review in the English ''Motoring Illustrated'' in May 1965 stated: "The Renault Sixteen can thus be described as a large family car but one that is neither a four door saloon and nor is it quite an estate. But, importantly, it is a little different."
[Motoring Illustrated, May 1965] Even the later similar-sized cars like the
Ford Escort,
Vauxhall Viva
The Vauxhall Viva is a small family car that was produced by Vauxhall in a succession of three versions between 1963 and 1979. These were designated as the HA, HB and HC series.
The Viva was introduced a year after Vauxhall's fellow GM compa ...
,
Austin Allegro
The Austin Allegro is a small family car that was manufactured by the Austin-Morris division of British Leyland from 1973 until 1982. The same vehicle was built in Italy by Innocenti between 1974 and 1975 and sold as the Innocenti Regent. The Al ...
and
Hillman Avenger
The Hillman Avenger is a rear-wheel drive small family car originally manufactured by the former Rootes division of Chrysler Europe from 1970–1978, badged from 1976 onward as the Chrysler Avenger. Between 1979 and 1981 it was manufactured by ...
were still only available as saloons or estates, although some cars of this size, like the
BMC/BL 1100 and 1300 saloons and
Italy's Fiat 128 featured front-wheel drive from their launch during the 1960s.
The C-segment was revolutionized in 1974 with the launch of the
Volkswagen Golf
The Volkswagen Golf () is a compact car/small family car (C-segment) produced by the German automotive manufacturer Volkswagen since 1974, marketed worldwide across eight generations, in various body configurations and under various nameplates ...
, a front-wheel drive hatchback, which was hugely successful all over Europe. Within a decade, most cars of this size in Europe were front-wheel drive hatchbacks. These included the
Fiat Ritmo
The Fiat Ritmo is a small, front-engine, front-wheel drive family car manufactured and marketed by Fiat, launched in April 1978 at the Turin Motor show and offered in 3- and 5-door hatchback and cabriolet body styles – from 1978 to 1988 with t ...
(Strada in the UK),
Ford Escort (from the MK3 model launched in 1980),
Opel Kadett
The Opel Kadett is a small family car produced by the German automobile manufacturer Opel from 1936 until 1940 and then from 1962 until 1991 (the Cabrio continued until 1993), when it was succeeded by the Opel Astra.
Kadett I (1936–1940)
...
(
Vauxhall Astra
The Vauxhall Astra is a compact car/small family car (C-segment) that has been sold by Vauxhall since 1980. It is currently produced at Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, England.
For its first two generations, the nameplate was applied to right-han ...
in the UK),
Renault 11
Eleven or 11 may refer to:
*11 (number), the natural number following 10 and preceding 12
* one of the years 11 BC, AD 11, 1911, 2011, or any year ending in 11
Literature
* ''Eleven'' (novel), a 2006 novel by British author David Llewellyn
*' ...
, and the
Talbot Horizon
The horizon is the apparent line that separates the surface of a celestial body from its sky when viewed from the perspective of an observer on or near the surface of the relevant body. This line divides all viewing directions based on whether i ...
(originally a
Chrysler
Stellantis North America (officially FCA US and formerly Chrysler ()) is one of the " Big Three" automobile manufacturers in the United States, headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan. It is the American subsidiary of the multinational automoti ...
/
Simca
Simca (; Mechanical and Automotive Body Manufacturing Company) was a French automaker, founded in November 1934 by Fiat S.p.A. and directed from July 1935 to May 1963 by Italian Henri Pigozzi. Simca was affiliated with Fiat and, after Simca bough ...
until
Peugeot
Peugeot (, , ) is a French brand of automobiles owned by Stellantis.
The family business that preceded the current Peugeot companies was founded in 1810, with a steel foundry that soon started making hand tools and kitchen equipment, and the ...
took over
Chrysler's European division in 1979). Most manufacturers still offered a traditional saloon of this size though, with Volkswagen using the Golf as the base for its
Jetta saloon, and Ford launching the Escort-based
Orion in 1983. Also in the 1980s saloons became popular again in certain Western European markets, often with a different model name than the hatckback, for example the
Renault 9
The Renault 9 and Renault 11 are small family cars produced by the French manufacturer Renault for model years 1981–1988 in saloon (Renault 9) and hatchback (Renault 11) configurations — both were styled by the French automobile designer, Ro ...
(Renault 11-based),
Fiat Regata
The Fiat Regata is an automobile produced by Italian automaker Fiat from 1983 until 1990. The Regata name was used for the sedan and station wagon versions of the Fiat Ritmo hatchback, corresponding to the post-facelift Ritmo. The Regata was of ...
(Ritmo-based) and
SEAT Málaga.
Some carmakers later created the ''liftback'' bodystyle like the
Peugeot 309
The Peugeot 309 is a small family car that was manufactured between 1985 and 1994 in England, Spain and France by PSA Peugeot Citroën. It was originally intended to be badged as a Talbot and, as development progressed, to be called the Talbot ...
, which replaced the Talbot Horizon in this sector at the end of 1985.
Since the mid-1990s, premium brands usually associated with larger and more expensive cars have entered the C-segment with more affordable hatchbacks and saloons. The first such example was the
Audi A3
The Audi A3 is a subcompact executive/small family car (C-segment) manufactured and marketed by the German automaker Audi AG since September 1996, currently in its fourth generation.
The first two generations of the Audi A3 were based on the ...
in 1996. Subsequent cars of this type include the
BMW 1 Series
The BMW 1 Series is a range of subcompact executive cars (C-segment) manufactured by BMW since 2004. It is the successor to the BMW 3 Series Compact and is currently in its third generation. Positioned as the entry level model in BMW range of pr ...
and
Mercedes-Benz A-Class
The Mercedes-Benz A-Class is a subcompact car produced by the German automobile manufacturer Mercedes-Benz as the brand's entry-level vehicle. The first generation (internally coded W168) was introduced in 1997, the second generation (W169) in ...
.
In the 1st decade of 21st century,
coupé convertibles (cabriolets) with components from these vehicles were being also built. Examples of this are the
Peugeot 307 CC
Peugeot (, , ) is a French brand of automobiles owned by Stellantis.
The family business that preceded the current Peugeot companies was founded in 1810, with a steel foundry that soon started making hand tools and kitchen equipment, and the ...
and later
308 CC in the first generation, third-generation
Opel Astra TwinTop
The Opel Astra is a compact car/small family car (C-segment) developed and produced by the German automaker Opel since 1991, currently at its sixth generation. It was first launched in September 1991 as a direct replacement to the Opel Kadet ...
, second generation
Ford Focus Coupe-Convertible, and
Volkswagen Eos
The Volkswagen Eos was a sport compact cabriolet coupé produced by the German automaker Volkswagen from 2006 to 2015. Assembled at AutoEuropa in Portugal, it was a convertible only compact coupé introduced as the successor of the Volkswagen Gol ...
.
France
Early successful compact family cars by French manufacturers are
Citroën GS
The GS is a front-engine, front-drive, four or five door, five passenger family car manufactured and marketed by Citroën in two series: for model years 1970-1979 in fastback saloon and estate bodystyles and subsequently as the GSA for model yea ...
A hatch version of the 1970 GS,
Peugeot 304 and
Renault 14
The Renault 14 is a compact car produced by the French manufacturer Renault between 1976 and 1983. It was first shown in January 1976 with production beginning in June of that year.
It was the first car to be produced in large volumes at the compa ...
. During 1980s,
Citroën
Citroën () is a French automobile brand. The "Automobiles Citroën" manufacturing company was founded in March 1919 by André Citroën. Citroën is owned by Stellantis since 2021 and previously was part of the PSA Group after Peugeot acquired ...
replaced the GSA with the 1983
BX that was between the sizes of the small family car and large family car, in an attempt to cover both markets with single model. The
Citroën ZX
The Citroën ZX is a small family car produced by the French manufacturer Citroën between 1991 and 1998.
During the beginning of the 1990s, the ZX was Citroën's competitor in the class traditionally dominated in Europe by the Ford Escort and ...
was the model which celebrated the entry of
PSA Group
The PSA Group (), legally known as Peugeot S.A. (Peugeot Société Anonyme, trading as Groupe PSA; formerly known as PSA Peugeot Citroën from 1991 to 2016) was a French multinational automotive manufacturing company which produced automobiles ...
(now Stellantis) in China during early 1990s.
Former USSR/Russia
Cars of the Soviet/Russian brand
Lada:
VAZ-2101
The VAZ-2101 ''" Zhiguli"'', commonly nicknamed ''" Kopeyka"'' (for the smallest Soviet coin, 1/100 of the ''Ruble''), is a compact sedan car (''small class, passenger car, model 1'' in Soviet classification) produced by the Soviet manufacture ...
,
VAZ-2103
The VAZ-2103 Zhiguli is a deluxe compact sedan car (''small class, passenger car, model 3'' in the Soviet classification), produced by VAZ, introduced in 1972 and produced until 1984. Better known by its export name Lada 1500 outside of its nati ...
,
VAZ-2106
The VAZ-2106 Zhiguli (alternatively Zhiguli 2106) is a sedan produced by the Soviet (later Russian) automaker VAZ, and later, after the breakup of the Soviet Union, also by Russian Izhevsk Avto and Ukrainian . In export markets, it was known sim ...
,
Lada Riva
The Lada / VAZ-2105, 2104 and 2107, collectively marketed as Lada Riva for right-hand drive models (in the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand), the Lada Nova in Germany, and by multiple other names and markets, are a series of compact se ...
(based on the
Fiat 124
The Fiat 124 is a small family car manufactured and marketed by Italian company Fiat between 1966 and 1974. The saloon superseded the Fiat 1300 and was the basis for several variants including a station wagon, a four-seater coupé ( 124 Sport Cou ...
and
Fiat 125
The Fiat 125 is a large family car manufactured and marketed by Italian company Fiat from 1967 to 1972. Derivatives were built under license outside Italy until the 1990s. As launched the car was unusual in blending saloon car passenger accommodat ...
) and
Lada Samara
The VAZ-2108, known as the Lada Samara in much of Western Europe (codenamed and later officially badged as the Lada Sputnik in its native Russia), is a series of small family cars produced by Soviet/Russian vehicle manufacturer AvtoVAZ under the ...
(since 1984) were very popular in
Central
Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object.
Central may also refer to:
Directions and generalised locations
* Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known as ...
and
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is a subregion of the Europe, European continent. As a largely ambiguous term, it has a wide range of geopolitical, geographical, ethnic, cultural, and socio-economic connotations. The vast majority of the region is covered by Russ ...
in the 1970s and 1980s. The modern-day
Lada's compact cars are
Lada Priora
The Lada Priora is a compact car produced by the Russian automaker AvtoVAZ since March 2007. It is largely a restyled and modernised Lada 110 and replaced it in 2009. By May 16, 2012, 590,000 Prioras had been produced. Starting model year 2016, ...
and
Lada Vesta
The Lada Vesta is a subcompact car produced by the Russian car company AvtoVAZ since 2015. It was presented in August 2014 during the Moscow International Automobile Salon and went into mass production on 25 September 2015 in Izhevsk.
Bo Ander ...
. There was also the lineup of the
AZLK
AZLK (''АЗЛК - Автомобильный завод имени Ленинского Комсомола'' in Russian, Avtomobilny Zavod imeni Leninskogo Komsomola) Soviet and Russian automobile manufacturer ( Moscow), the maker of the Moskv ...
-factory,
Moskvitch
Moskvitch (russian: Москвич) (also written as ''Moskvich'', ''Moskvič'', or ''Moskwitsch'') is a Soviet/Russian automobile brand produced by AZLK from 1946 to 1991 and by OAO Moskvitch from 1991 to 2001 and later returned to production i ...
(from 1947 to 2003):
400,
402
__NOTOC__
Year 402 (Roman numerals, CDII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Arcadius and Honorius (or, less frequent ...
,
408
__NOTOC__
Year 408 (Roman numerals, CDVIII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Bassus and Philippus (or, less frequentl ...
,
412,
Izh 2125
The IZh 2125 "Kombi" ( Russian: ИЖ-2125 Комби, short for "combination") is a large family car produced by the Soviet car manufacturer IZh from 1973 to 1997.''IZh-2125'', "Avtolegendy SSSR" Nr.54 It was based on an Izhevsk-modified Moskvit ...
(the first Soviet
hatchback
A hatchback is a car body configuration with a rear door that swings upward to provide access to a cargo area. Hatchbacks may feature fold-down second row seating, where the interior can be reconfigured to prioritize passenger or cargo volume. ...
),
2140 and
Aleko
The Moskvitch-2141, also known under the trade name Aleko ( Russian: "АЛЕКО", derivative from the name of the automaker "Автомобильный завод имени Ленинского Комсомола", ''Avtomobilny zavod imeni Len ...
.
History in the United Kingdom
1970s
![Morris 1300 MKIII 1974 - front](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/16/Morris_1300_MKIII_1974_-_front.jpg)
At the start of the 1970s, the two most popular sectors of the UK market were small family cars and
large family cars
A family car is a car classification used in Europe to describe normally-sized cars. The name comes from the marketed use of these cars to carry a whole family locally or on vacations. Most family cars are hatchbacks or sedans, although there are ...
. Since its launch in 1962, the
BMC 1100/1300 had often been Britain's best selling car,
and other locally produced compact cars included the
Ford Escort,
Vauxhall Viva
The Vauxhall Viva is a small family car that was produced by Vauxhall in a succession of three versions between 1963 and 1979. These were designated as the HA, HB and HC series.
The Viva was introduced a year after Vauxhall's fellow GM compa ...
and
Hillman Avenger
The Hillman Avenger is a rear-wheel drive small family car originally manufactured by the former Rootes division of Chrysler Europe from 1970–1978, badged from 1976 onward as the Chrysler Avenger. Between 1979 and 1981 it was manufactured by ...
. Imported small family cars that were popular in the UK included the
Citroën GS
The GS is a front-engine, front-drive, four or five door, five passenger family car manufactured and marketed by Citroën in two series: for model years 1970-1979 in fastback saloon and estate bodystyles and subsequently as the GSA for model yea ...
and
Datsun Sunny 120Y.
British Leyland
British Leyland was an automotive engineering and manufacturing conglomerate formed in the United Kingdom in 1968 as British Leyland Motor Corporation Ltd (BLMC), following the merger of Leyland Motors and British Motor Holdings. It was partl ...
replaced the BMC 1100/1300 with a variety of models; the 1969
Austin Maxi, the 1971
Morris Marina
The Morris Marina is a front-engined, rear-wheel-drive small family car that was manufactured by the Austin-Morris division of British Leyland from 1971 until 1980. It served to replace the Morris Minor in the Morris product line, which ...
, and the 1973
Austin Allegro
The Austin Allegro is a small family car that was manufactured by the Austin-Morris division of British Leyland from 1973 until 1982. The same vehicle was built in Italy by Innocenti between 1974 and 1975 and sold as the Innocenti Regent. The Al ...
.
A second-generation Ford Escort (jointly designed in Britain and Germany) was released in 1974. The same year, the German
Volkswagen Golf
The Volkswagen Golf () is a compact car/small family car (C-segment) produced by the German automotive manufacturer Volkswagen since 1974, marketed worldwide across eight generations, in various body configurations and under various nameplates ...
front-wheel drive hatchback was released, becoming one of the first significantly-imported small family cars in the UK market. The sporty "GTI" version of the Golf sparked a huge demand for "hot hatches" in the UK and many other countries.
The third-generation Vauxhall Viva was produced until late 1979, when it was replaced by the
Vauxhall Astra
The Vauxhall Astra is a compact car/small family car (C-segment) that has been sold by Vauxhall since 1980. It is currently produced at Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, England.
For its first two generations, the nameplate was applied to right-han ...
(a rebadged
Opel Kadett D
The Opel Kadett is a small family car produced by the German automobile manufacturer Opel from 1936 until 1940 and then from 1962 until 1991 (the Cabrio continued until 1993), when it was succeeded by the Opel Astra.
Kadett I (1936–1940)
...
which was initially produced in West Germany and Belgium).
The Astra was part of a late-1970s transition in small family cars from being predominantly
rear-wheel drive
Rear-wheel drive (RWD) is a form of engine and transmission layout used in motor vehicles, in which the engine drives the rear wheels only. Until the late 20th century, rear-wheel drive was the most common configuration for cars.
Most rear-wheel ...
saloons, to becoming
front-wheel drive
Front-wheel drive (FWD) is a form of engine and transmission layout used in motor vehicles, where the engine drives the front wheels only. Most modern front-wheel drive vehicles feature a transverse engine, rather than the conventional longit ...
hatchback
A hatchback is a car body configuration with a rear door that swings upward to provide access to a cargo area. Hatchbacks may feature fold-down second row seating, where the interior can be reconfigured to prioritize passenger or cargo volume. ...
s (by then increasingly popular in mainland Europe). The Austin Allegro - introduced five years earlier - was front-wheel drive but was built in only saloon and
estate body styles. Only the related
Austin Maxi was a hatchback.
The Hillman Avenger (marketed as a Chrysler Avenger 1976-1979 and as a Talbot Avenger 1979-1981) continued to sell well, in spite of the 1978 launch of the
Talbot Horizon
The horizon is the apparent line that separates the surface of a celestial body from its sky when viewed from the perspective of an observer on or near the surface of the relevant body. This line divides all viewing directions based on whether i ...
front-wheel drive hatchback.
1980s
![1981 Ford Escort GL, Ireland (17496006958) (cropped)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/69/1981_Ford_Escort_GL%2C_Ireland_%2817496006958%29_%28cropped%29.jpg)
The
Ford Escort Mk3 went on sale in the autumn of 1980, replacing the rear-wheel-drive saloon format of the Mk2 with a hatchback and front-wheel drive. (A saloon version called the
Ford Orion
The Ford Orion is a small family car (C-segment in Europe) that was produced by Ford Europe from 1983 until 1993. A total of 3,534,239 units were sold during the car's ten-year production life.
The Ford Orion was based on the Ford Escort, but i ...
was added in 1983.) Only in 1983 was the Austin Allegro replaced by the
Austin Maestro
The Austin Maestro is a five-door hatchback small family car (and two-door van derivative) that was produced from 1982 to 1987 by British Leyland, and from 1988 until 1994 by Rover Group, as a replacement for the Morris Marina and Austin Alleg ...
hatchback. In 1984, the
Vauxhall Astra Mk2 hatchback/estate/cabriolet was released, alongside a saloon version called the
Vauxhall Belmont
The Vauxhall Belmont is a saloon car sold in the United Kingdom by Vauxhall between January 1986 and September 1991. It was equivalent to a saloon version of the award winning Opel Kadett E, launched in the autumn of 1984, whose other body s ...
.
The first significant Japanese-designed compact car in the UK was the 1981
Triumph Acclaim
The Triumph Acclaim is a front-wheel drive compact family saloon/sedan manufactured by British Leyland (BL) from 1981 to 1984. It is based on the Honda Ballade. It used a Honda-designed engine, was manufactured under licence from Honda, and ...
, a licensed version of the four-door
Honda Ballade with a Honda-designed engine. The Acclaim was replaced in 1984 by the
Rover 200
The Rover 200 Series, and later the Rover 25, are a series of small family cars that were produced by British manufacturer Rover from 1984 until 2005.
There have been three distinct generations of the Rover 200. The first generation was a four ...
. In late 1985 the
Peugeot 309
The Peugeot 309 is a small family car that was manufactured between 1985 and 1994 in England, Spain and France by PSA Peugeot Citroën. It was originally intended to be badged as a Talbot and, as development progressed, to be called the Talbot ...
became the first Peugeot to be built in the UK at the
Ryton plant
The Ryton plant is a former car manufacturing plant in Ryton-on-Dunsmore, England. Developed by the Rootes Group as a shadow factory in 1939 to produce aircraft engines for World War II; post war it became the headquarters of the group.
Taken ...
.
1990s
![1990 Rover 216 GSi 1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cd/1990_Rover_216_GSi_1.6_Front.jpg)
Ford began the 1990s by replacing its 10-year-old Escort (and the Orion saloon version) with the
Ford Escort MkV. In 1998, the European version of the Escort was replaced by the global
Ford Focus MkI model.
General Motors released the
Vauxhall Astra Mk3 update in 1991 and the all-new
Astra Mk4 in 1998.
Rover Group introduced the
Rover 200 Mk2 in 1989. The
Rover 200 Mk3 was introduced in 1995, replacing the Honda Concerto-based Mk2 with a UK-designed car.
See also
*
B-segment
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 ...
*
D-segment
The D-segment is the 4th category of the European segments for passenger cars, and is described as "large cars".
It is equivalent to the Euro NCAP "large family car" size class, and the present-day definition of the mid-size car category use ...
*
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 classification
*
Compact car
Compact car is a vehicle size class — predominantly used in North America — that sits between subcompact cars and mid-size cars. "Small family car" is a British term and a part of the C-segment in the European car classification. However, p ...
References
{{Automobile configuration
Euro car segments