Compact SUV segment to dominate new vehicle sales

The all-new Hyundai Tucson was the second best seller in Europe so far this year. Photo: Andrei Diomidov Photography

The chip shortage has boosted sales of compact SUVs in Europe from the large brands as they prioritise more-profitable models.

The segment's volume rose 15 percent to 1.42 million in Europe through September, helping compact SUVs overtake the hatchback-dominated traditional compact class to become the region's third-largest segment after small cars and small crossovers, according to data from JATO Dynamics, says Europe Automotive News.

The compact SUV segment is forecast to become Europe's No. 1 vehicle class by year-end, according to analyst firm LMC Automotive, which expects compact SUVs to remain Europe's favorite body type until 2026. 

The chip shortage has boosted sales of compact SUVs from volume brands as they prioritise more-profitable models, says Europe Automotive News.

The segment's volume rose 15 percent to 1.42 million in Europe through September, helping compact SUVs overtake the hatchback-dominated class. The Volkswagen Tiguan is the top seller compact SUV, followed by Hyundai’s new Tucson then Peugeot’s 3008 in third place.

For the month of October in New Zealand, the top segment was SUV medium with a 22 percent market share.