The sub-compact crossover segment is growing in number and reshaping itself. Can it even be called a “sub-compact” crossover segment? It’s not as easy to nail it down as you might think. The government determines the vehicles classes in various ways. The U.S. EPA classifies cars by interior volume. The European Commission makes the determination based on overall vehicle length.
We selected the following six small crossovers and grouped them together for comparison of sales numbers. The Jeep Patriot is in a comfortable lead here. The other Jeep on this list is the Compass, which is in fourth place.
We intend to add the following vehicles to this list in the near future as they go on sale. The 2015 Jeep Renegade, the 2016 Honda HR-V, and the 2016 Mazda CX-3. The Renegade has already started to reach dealerships in March, so we will start getting the numbers soon.
Does it make sense to have three Jeeps on this list? Jeep says the the Renegade is in the A-segment for crossovers as defined by vehicle length. The Patriot and the Compass are in the B-segment. However, the interior volumes among these three Jeeps is not too far off each other. The Renegade has EPA interior volume of 118.6 cu-ft. And the Jeep Compass is measured at 124 cu-ft. The EPA volume of the Subaru XV Crosstrek is 119.8 cu-ft.
All of these crossovers grew with the exception of the Nissan Juke, the little crossover that started it all. Perhaps, the Juke is constraint by supply as the face-lifted 2015 model is being phased in.
Sub-Compact Crossover – February 2015
| Feb 2015 # | Feb ’15 / ’14 % | YTD 2015 # | YTD ’15 / ’14 % | |
| Jeep Patriot | 10,280 | 59.0% | 17,843 | 48.0% |
| Subaru XV | 6,406 | 16.7% | 12,919 | 25.6% |
| Buick Encore | 4,921 | 59.9% | 8,386 | 54.0% |
| Jeep Compass | 4,669 | 7.0% | 8,986 | 7.0% |
| Chevy Trax | 3,821 | NEW | 5,660 | NEW |
| Nissan Juke | 2,183 | -58.0% | 4,184 | -51.6% |
Check out this fun and informative TFLcar first drive featuring the 2015 Jeep Renegade and some of its competitors.
Andre Smirnov is a life-long automotive enthusiast, writer, reporter, and software engineer. He has been writing and reporting at TFL since 2011. When not working or spending time with the family – you can find him tinkering in the garage or simply ‘going for a drive’.
