C-segment (or medium cars) is a Euro Car Segment; a car classification loosely defined by the European Commission as the third smallest segment (above the A-segment and B-segment) in the European market. Although the definition is vague, there is little overlap between segments A-F based on mass and area parameters. In 2011, the C-segment had an EU market share of 23%, of which 58% were diesel cars.
As the "segment" terminology became more common in the United States, in 2012 the New York Times described the differences, saying "today's small cars actually span three main segments in the global vehicle market. The tiny A-segment cars include the Chevy Spark and Smart Fortwo. They're extremely short and very light. Slightly larger are B-segment cars like the Ford Fiesta and Chevy Sonic. The A- and B-cars are known as subcompacts. In the C-segment â€" typically called compacts â€" are the largest of the small cars. Examples include the Toyota Corolla, a perennial sales leader, as well as the Ford Focus, Citroën C4 and DS4, Infiniti Q30, Chevrolet Cruze, Opel Astra, Mitsubishi Lancer, Honda Civic, Hyundai Elantra, i30, Mazda 3, Nissan Sentra, Peugeot 308, 408, Renault Mégane, Fluence, BMW 1 Series, Mercedes A Class, Audi A3, Tata Manza, Fiat Tipo, Volkswagen Golf, Jetta and Alfa Romeo Giulietta"
Current C-segment cars
2/3-door models
Sedans
Station wagons
See also
- Car classifications
References
