2019 Best Selling Minivans In Europe (All Models Ranked)
Sales of large MPVs in Europe have stabilized at their lowest level in at least two decades but possibly since its inception in the early 1980s. 2019 sales are up 400 units on 2018 which was the absolute rock bottom at 91,700 annual sales. Just 8 years ago in 2011 the two best selling large MPVs Ford S-Max and VW Sharan sold a combined 93,700 units and the entire segment sold almost twice the volume of 2018 and 2019. In 2003 it was triple the size.
In the models ranking, the oldest models are outperforming the rest of the segment, as the VW Group twins Seat Alhamba and Volkswagen Sharan are the two best performers, up 8% and up 10% respectively. That allows the Alhambra to reclaim the segment lead from the Ford S-Max, down 4%. As a result, VW Group improves its share of the segment to 50.5%, up from 46.6% in 2018, while Ford’s share is down from 38.8% to 38.3%.
The Ford Galaxy also slightly improves at +6% and leapfrogs the Renault Espace, down 18% to its third-worst annual volume ever, after 2013 and 2014 when the previous generation was at the end of its life cycle. The SsangYong Rodius is the biggest loser of the segment again and remains a niche player in what is starting to become a niche segment.
The midsized MPV segment in Europe continues its decline in 2019 at -16% to 489,000 sales, a record low and just 3.1% of the overall European car market, down from 3.9% in 2018. In 2008 just the top-3 models (Scenic, C4 Picasso and Zafira) sold a combined 500,000 units and the entire segment was over 1 million sales and in 2005 just the top-2 models (Scenic and Zafira) sold as many units as the entire segment now. The Scenic has its lowest annual sales since its launch in 1997 at just 76,000 deliveries, keeping it just ahead of the Volkswagen Touran, the segment best seller in 2016 and 2017.
The Mercedes-Benz B-Class was the segment best seller in the fourth quarter of 2019 and finished the year on the podium, ahead of its rival BMW 2-Series Active/Gran Tourer, which also has its slowest year since its launch. The B-Class beats the BMW 2-Series Active and Gran Tourer for the firs time since the latter model’s launch in 2014. That kicks the usual podium contender Citro"en C4 Picasso down to 5th now that the regular 5-seater version has been discontinued and the Grand Picasso 7-seater is left.
The Volkswagen Golf Sportsvan is down 21% and is unlikely to be replaced when VW renews the Golf. The BMW i3 is up 30% and sets a new annual sales record in Europe, as it has done every year since its launch in 2013. The i3 now has surpassed 114,000 cumulative sales in Europe. The Ford C-Max had its last full year of sales and barely finished ahead of the Dacia Lodgy, which shows almost stable sales after outselling the Sportsvan and C-Max in Q4. The Toyota Prius+ enjoys a third consecutive year of growth and even sets a new annual sales record in Europe thanks to popularity among taxi companies across Europe. The Opel/Vauxhall Zafira is being phased out although the name will return on a midsized passenger van based on the PSA vans.
Here Are The Most Popular Minivans in Europe for 2019
This data table looks at full year minivan sales volumes in Europe by model. We compare Europe market minivan model sales for the full year versus the full year last year.
| Model | Month | Month LY | Change | YTD | YTD LY | YTD Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ∑ = | ∑ = | ∑ = | ∑ = |
Source: Manufacturers & ANDC
Car sales statistics are from the following countries: Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland.
