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NEWS
New segmentation for VFACTS
FCAI and its members break down the market further by vehicle typeThe Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) has introduced revised VFACTS segmentation for 2014.
Effective from January, a 'Micro' segment has been added to the passenger vehicle class, below the light car segment. Populating the new segment is a series of ultra-small cars previously deemed light passenger cars. These are the Chery J1, Fiat/Abarth 500, Fiat Panda, Holden Barina Spark, Mitsubishi Mirage, Nissan Micra, smart fortwo, Suzuki Alto and Volkswagen up! (pictured).
While the light passenger car segment has lost those several models to the new segment, it has also gained a couple of cars previously considered small cars – the Proton Gen.2 and the Skoda Roomster. Audi's A1, formerly a small car, has also joined the light car crowd above $25,000. Citroen's DS4, sales of which were previously allocated to the above $40,000 band of small cars, now finds itself in the sub-$40,000 segment. MINI hatch and Clubman models have shifted from small cars above $40,000 to light cars above $25,000.
The Citroen DS5 – last year a medium car priced above $60,000 – now reflects its true standing in the VFACTS medium segment for cars priced below $60,000. Volvo's S60/V60 models have moved up in the world: from medium cars below $60,000 to above the luxury car tax threshold. Maserati figures are now divided into upper large sedans above $100,000 (Quattroporte) and coupe/convertibles, rather than just sports cars priced above $200,000.
The threshold that separates volume-selling people movers from prestige people movers has risen from $55,000 to $60,000, with Mercedes-Benz Valente moving up, and the Volkswagen Multivan moving down. While the thresholds for sports cars remain fixed at $80,000 and $200,000, the Mercedes-Benz C-Class coupe has moved above $80,000, but the Volvo C70 has dropped below that figure.
In addition, old cars that have not sold in two years no longer appear in VFACTS figures, and there are naturally new additions for January.
VFACTS segmentation is not cast in concrete and the changes from January this year are not unusual. At the commencement of 2012, the FCAI introduced far-reaching changes for the SUV class.
As with the revamp of the SUV class two years ago, the changes for passenger cars in 2014 reflect the volatile nature of the market – with some prestige models headed downmarket and smaller cars moving into the appropriate segment for their size and market position.
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Written byCarsales Staff
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