Supermini car
Encyclopedia
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Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
s larger than a city car
City car
A city car is a small car intended for use primarily in an urban area.City cars are sold worldwide and most automotive industry manufacturers have one or two in their line-up. In North-America city cars are often referred to simply as "subcompacts" alongside the superminis. These kind of cars...
but smaller than a small family car. This car class is also known as the B-segment across Europe, and as subcompact in North America.
In 2008, the best selling cars in the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
, France, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
and Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
were all superminis. Overall in 2008, of the fifteen best selling types of car in Europe, seven were superminis. Superminis are usually available in hatchback
Hatchback
A Hatchback is a car body style incorporating a shared passenger and cargo volume, with rearmost accessibility via a rear third or fifth door, typically a top-hinged liftgate—and features such as fold-down rear seats to enable flexibility within the shared passenger/cargo volume. As a two-box...
body styles.
Origins of the term supermini
The Economist
The Economist is an English-language weekly news and international affairs publication owned by The Economist Newspaper Ltd. and edited in offices in the City of Westminster, London, England. Continuous publication began under founder James Wilson in September 1843...
in 1978. Describing a proposed new car from Lada
Lada
Lada is a trademark of AvtoVAZ, a Russian car manufacturer in Tolyatti, Samara Oblast. All AvtoVAZ vehicles are currently sold under the Lada brand, though this was not always so; Lada was originally AvtoVAZ's export brand for models it sold under the Zhiguli name in the domestic Soviet market...
as "a front wheel drive "supermini" the size (and a near copy) of a Ford Fiesta." In October 1985, the influential Consumers' Association
Consumers' Association
The Consumers' Association is the umbrella organisation that houses the trading arm Which? Ltd. The Consumers' Association is a charity, registered in England and Wales No 296072. Which? Ltd is its wholly owned trading subsidiary....
used the term in its annual Car Buying Guide. Because the term was a new one, it gave an explanation at the start of a section entitled Small Hatchbacks. It said small hatchbacks were known popularly as superminis and while similar to the Mini
Mini
The Mini is a small car that was made by the British Motor Corporation and its successors from 1959 until 2000. The original is considered a British icon of the 1960s, and its space-saving front-wheel-drive layout influenced a generation of car-makers...
they were more spacious inside and more versatile. This definition made clear that a "supermini" was something larger than a Mini yet smaller than a typical car of the time. In its 1985 report, it included such cars as the Austin Metro, Volkswagen Polo
Volkswagen Polo
The Volkswagen Polo is a supermini car manufactured by Volkswagen. It is sold in Europe and other markets worldwide in hatchback, saloon, coupé and estate variants....
and Ford Fiesta
Ford Fiesta
The Ford Fiesta is a front wheel drive supermini/subcompact manufactured and marketed by Ford Motor Company and built in Europe, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Venezuela, China, India, Thailand and South Africa...
. Smaller or more basic cars were grouped under a Bargain Basement heading and included the Mini, Citroën 2CV
Citroën 2CV
The Citroën 2CV |tax horsepower]]”) was an economy car produced by the French automaker Citroën between 1948 and 1990. It was technologically advanced and innovative, but with uncompromisingly utilitarian unconventional looks, and deceptively simple Bauhaus inspired bodywork, that belied the sheer...
, Fiat 126
Fiat 126
The Fiat 126 is a city car introduced in October 1972 at the Turin Auto Show as a replacement for the Fiat 500. Most were produced in Bielsko-Biała, Poland as the Polski Fiat 126p until 2000...
and Volkswagen Beetle
Volkswagen Beetle
The Volkswagen Type 1, widely known as the Volkswagen Beetle or Volkswagen Bug, is an economy car produced by the German auto maker Volkswagen from 1938 until 2003...
.
The 1986 Car Buying Guide, published in June of that year, was more confident of the term and this time headed the section Small hatchbacks or 'superminis. The Mini and 2CV were still relegated to the cheaper category of Bargain Basement. By the time of the 1989 Car Buying Guide, there was no longer any need to explain what supermini meant and the title appeared without comment. In its introduction, the Guide said superminis were available as three-door and five-door hatchbacks, and sometimes as saloons with a boot. The Mini and Volkswagen Beetle were still grouped separately, this year under the heading Cheapies.
By 1990 the demand for the cheapest cars, a number of them from low-cost economies in eastern Europe, was fading. For the first time the two or three remaining examples in the new car market, including the original Mini, were grouped under the heading superminis along with the couple of dozen true superminis that now dominated the cheaper end of the market. However, in its separate guide to car reliability in June 1990, the magazine grouped the smallest cars under the heading "Minis and Superminis", indicating that the smallest cars were still perceived as being distinct from the larger and better equipped "Superminis". These smaller cars are now called city car
City car
A city car is a small car intended for use primarily in an urban area.City cars are sold worldwide and most automotive industry manufacturers have one or two in their line-up. In North-America city cars are often referred to simply as "subcompacts" alongside the superminis. These kind of cars...
s.
Examples of superminis sold in Europe
- Alfa Romeo MiToAlfa Romeo MiToThe Alfa Romeo MiTo is a three door sporty supermini officially introduced on June 19, 2008, at Castello Sforzesco in Milan, with an international introduction at the British Motor Show in 2008. The car was available in all Alfa's major markets in stages from July...
- Audi A1Audi A1The Audi A1 is a supermini-class car launched by Audi at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show. Sales of the initial three door A1 model started in Germany in August 2010, with the United Kingdom following in November 2010...
- Austin Metro
- BMW MINI
- Citroën C3Citroën C3The Citroën C3 is a supermini car equipped with a range of inline-four engines that has been produced by the French automaker Citroën since 2002. It was designed by Donato Coco and Jean-Pierre Ploué, previously known for designing the first generation Renault Twingo; the former has been the head of...
- Citroën DS3Citroën DS3The Citroën DS3 is a supermini, produced by French manufacturer Citroën from 2009. This is the first car in the new DS range from Citroën. It was first hinted by the concept car Citroën DS Inside. This range of vehicle shares no common feature with, and is in no way the successor to, the Citroën DS...
- Daihatsu SirionDaihatsu BoonThe Daihatsu Boon is a subcompact car/supermini produced by Japanese automaker Daihatsu since 2004, and also sold under Toyota Passo and Daihatsu Sirion...
- Fiat 500
- Fiat PuntoFiat PuntoThe Fiat Punto is a supermini produced by the Italian manufacturer, Fiat, since 1993.-1st generation :Internally codenamed Project 176, the Punto was announced in September 1993 and launched in late 1993 as a replacement for the ageing Fiat Uno. The Fiat Punto was voted European Car of the Year...
- Ford FiestaFord FiestaThe Ford Fiesta is a front wheel drive supermini/subcompact manufactured and marketed by Ford Motor Company and built in Europe, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Venezuela, China, India, Thailand and South Africa...
- Honda JazzHonda JazzThe Honda Jazz nameplate has been used by Honda of Japan to denote several different motorized vehicles since 1982:*A 50 cc motorcycle introduced in 1986. Such a scooter still exists, and is currently on sale in Canada...
- Hyundai i20Hyundai i20The Hyundai i20 is a supermini/subcompact car, made its debut at the Paris Motor Show in October 2008 and went on the sale in December 2008 in India to fit between the i10 and i30. It is a front-wheel drive car, and is available in three and five door versions. The i20 replaces the Getz in most...
- Kia RioKia RioThe Kia Rio is a series of subcompact automobiles produced by Kia Motors since August 2000. Two generations have been produced, both in five-door hatchback and four-door sedan body styles, all equipped with inline-four gasoline and diesel engines, and front-wheel drive...
- Lancia YpsilonLancia YpsilonThe Lancia Ypsilon is a supermini produced by Italian automaker Lancia since 1996. It is the replacement of the Y10, although larger and more expensive...
- Mazda2
- Mercedes-Benz A-ClassMercedes-Benz A-ClassThe Mercedes-Benz A-Class is a mini MPV produced by the German automobile manufacturer Mercedes-Benz. The first generation was introduced in 1997, and the all-new second generation model appeared in late 2004. Launched as a five-door hatchback in 1997, the second generation W169 introduced a...
- Mini Cooper
- Nissan Micra
- Opel/Vauxhall CorsaOpel CorsaThe front-wheel drive Opel Corsa was first launched in September 1982 to replace the Opel Kadett C City, and to fill the gap vacated as the Kadett grew in size and price. Built in Zaragoza, Spain, the first Corsas were three-door hatchback and two-door saloon models, with four-door and five-door...
- Peugeot 106Peugeot 106The Peugeot 106 is a supermini produced by French automaker Peugeot from 1991 to 2004.-Phase I:The Peugeot 106 was introduced on 12 September 1991, as the French marque's entry level car slotting in beneath the 205 - although it is now largely considered the 'true' replacement to the 205. It was a...
GTI - Peugeot 207Peugeot 207The Peugeot 207 is a small family car produced by the French automaker Peugeot and unveiled in January 2006.-Launch:The 207 was launched in France, Spain and Italy during April 2006 and later on in other European, Israeli and Arabic markets....
- Proton SavvyProton SavvyThe Proton Savvy is a supermini hatchback produced by Malaysian car manufacturer Proton. The car was introduced in June 2005 as a successor to Proton Tiara.- History :...
- Renault ClioRenault ClioThe Renault Clio is a supermini car produced by the French automobile manufacturer Renault. Originally launched in 1990, it is currently in its third generation...
- SEAT IbizaSEAT IbizaThe SEAT Ibiza is a car in the European supermini class, constructed by the Spanish car maker SEAT S.A., is SEAT's best-selling car and perhaps the most popular model in the Spanish firm's range....
- Suzuki SwiftSuzuki SwiftThe Suzuki Swift is a subcompact car produced by Suzuki in Japan since 2000. Prior to this, the "Swift" nameplate had been applied to the Suzuki Cultus in export markets such as Australasia, Europe, India and North America.- Predecessor :...
- Toyota YarisToyota VitzThe Toyota Vitz is a line of three- and five-door hatchback subcompact cars produced since 1998 by the Japanese automobile manufacturer Toyota. Now in its third generation, the name "Toyota Vitz" has been used consistently in Japan, with most international markets receiving the same vehicle under...
- Volkswagen PoloVolkswagen PoloThe Volkswagen Polo is a supermini car manufactured by Volkswagen. It is sold in Europe and other markets worldwide in hatchback, saloon, coupé and estate variants....
- Škoda FabiaŠkoda FabiaThe Škoda Fabia is a supermini produced by Czech manufacturer Škoda Auto since 1999. It was the successor to the Škoda Felicia, which was discontinued in 2001...
See also
- Car classificationCar classificationCars may be classified by a number of different criteria; however, comprehensive classification is elusive, because a vehicle may fit into multiple categories, or not completely satisfy the requirements for any. This article details the most commonly used systems of classification. Where...
- CyclecarCyclecarCyclecars were small, generally inexpensive cars manufactured mainly between 1910 and the late 1920s.-General description:Cyclecars were propelled by single cylinder, V-twin or more rarely four cylinder engines, often air cooled. Sometimes these had been originally used in motorcycles and other...
- Micro car - Bubble carBubble carBubble car is a subjective term used for some small, economical automobiles, usually produced in the 1950s and 1960s.- Varieties :The Messerschmitt KR175 and KR200, and the FMR Tg500, had aircraft-style bubble canopies, giving rise to the term bubble car to refer to all these post-war microcars...
- City carCity carA city car is a small car intended for use primarily in an urban area.City cars are sold worldwide and most automotive industry manufacturers have one or two in their line-up. In North-America city cars are often referred to simply as "subcompacts" alongside the superminis. These kind of cars...
- Kei carKei carKei cars, K-cars, or , are a Japanese category of small vehicles, including passenger cars, vans, and pickup trucks. They are designed to comply with Japanese government tax and insurance regulations, and in most rural areas are exempted from the requirement to certify that adequate parking is...
- Mini MPVMini MPVMini MPV is a car classification used to describe superminis or subcompacts which have taller build, fitting below the compact MPV and large MPV classifications....
- Mini SUVMini SUVMini SUV is a class of small sport utility vehicles with a length under . This class should not be confused with compact SUV, which refers to slightly larger vehicles, from ....
- MIT CarMIT CarThe MIT Car is a concept car project conceived at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, United States, for the purpose of exploring the idea of urban mobility. This intensive study on advanced human traveling has been in progress since 2003...
- Economy carEconomy carAn economy car is an automobile that is designed for low cost operation. Typical economy cars are small, light weight, and inexpensive to buy. Economy car designers are forced by stringent design constraints to be inventive...
- Small family car
- Subcompact carSubcompact carSubcompact car is a North American term used to describe automobiles whose class size is smaller than that of a compact car, usually not exceeding in length, but larger than a microcar...
- Vehicle size classVehicle size classVehicle size classes are a way of classifying cars. The common North American parlance is word-based, while English-speaking European writers also use words to describe car sizes...