A-segment facts for kids

2020 Best-Selling

Fiat Panda 3rd generation (2011–present)

Fiat 500 (2007) 1st generation (2007–present)

Toyota Aygo 2nd generation (2014–2021)

Renault Twingo 3rd generation (2014–present)

Volkswagen Up! 1st generation (2011-present)

The A-segment is a special way to group passenger cars. It is the smallest group of cars. Cars in this group are often called city cars. This is because they are perfect for driving in busy cities.

In the 2010s, city cars made up about 7% to 8% of all car sales. This car size is similar to the kei car class in Japan.

What is an A-segment Car?

City cars are usually quite small. As of 2021, A-segment cars are about 2.7 meters (8.9 feet) to 3.7 meters (12.1 feet) long. Their small size makes them easy to park and drive in crowded places.

How A-segment Cars Look

Most A-segment cars in Europe are hatchbacks. A hatchback is a car with a back door that swings up. This door includes the rear window. It makes it easy to load things into the car.

Recently, some city cars are starting to look like crossovers. Crossovers are cars that mix features of an SUV and a regular car. Examples include the Suzuki Ignis and the Toyota Aygo X. Other car shapes, like sedans, are not common for city cars. This is because sedans are not practical for such small cars.

History of City Cars

City cars have always been popular in Europe. In 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020, they made up a good part of the car market. Their share was around 8.1%, 8%, 7.7%, and 6.8% of all car sales.

Popular City Cars

In 2020, some of the most popular A-segment cars in Europe were:

• Fiat Panda
• Fiat 500
• Toyota Aygo
• Renault Twingo
• Volkswagen Up!
• Hyundai i10
• Kia Picanto
• Peugeot 108
• Citroën C1
• Suzuki Ignis

Top Selling City Cars (Over 100,000 Sales)

• 

  Fiat Panda
  3rd generation (2011–present)
  Made in Italy

• 

  Fiat 500 (2007)
  1st generation (2007–present)
  Made in Poland

Other Popular City Cars (50,000 - 100,000 Sales)

• 

  Toyota Aygo
  2nd generation (2014–2021)
  Made in Czech Republic

• 

  Renault Twingo
  3rd generation (2014–present)
  Made in Slovenia

• 

  Volkswagen Up!
  1st generation (2011–present)
  Made in Slovakia

• 

  Hyundai i10
  3rd generation (2019-present)
  Made in Turkey

Other City Cars (10,000 - 50,000 Sales)

• 

  Kia Picanto
  3rd generation (2017–present)
  Made in Russia

• 

  Peugeot 108
  2nd generation (2014–2021)
  Made in Czech Republic

• 

  Citroën C1
  2nd generation (2014–2021)
  Made in Czech Republic

• 

  Suzuki Ignis
  2nd generation (2016–present)
  Made in India

• 

  Mitsubishi Mirage
  6th generation (2012-present)
  Made in Thailand

• 

  smart EQ fortwo
  3rd generation (2016-present)
  Made in France

• 

  Škoda Citigo
  1st generation (2011–2020)
  Made in Slovakia

City Car Sales in Europe

In 2019, sales of city cars went down a little. This meant they made up 7.7% of the total car market in Europe. This was a small drop from 8% in 2018.

Making city cars costs more now. This is because of new rules for safety and pollution. So, car makers are spending less on new city car designs. Some are even making only electric city cars.

In 2020, European sales of city cars dropped a lot, by about one-third. This means they now make up 6.8% of the car market. This trend is expected to continue. Many car companies are stopping production of gasoline-powered city cars. They might switch to electric versions instead.

City Car Sales in Other Countries

City cars are not as popular everywhere. In the United States, they make up only about 0.5% of the car market. In 2020, the best-selling city cars there were the Chevrolet Spark, Mitsubishi Mirage, and Mini Cooper.

In India, city cars used to be the most popular. However, their sales have gone down in recent years.

Many A-segment cars have also done well outside Europe. These include the Hyundai Grand i10, Honda Brio, Kia Picanto, Toyota Wigo, Suzuki Celerio, Suzuki Wagon R, Suzuki/Maruti Alto, Ford Figo, Smart ForTwo, Citroën C1, Peugeot 108, and the modern Fiat 500.

See also

In Spanish: Segmento A para niños