Supermini

Supermini (also called B-segment across Europe) is a class of automobile larger than a city car but smaller than a small family car.

Superminis are usually available in hatchback body styles. The term subcompact car is used for similar cars in North America.

Origins of the term

The term supermini developed in the UK in the 1970s as car manufacturers sought a new design to surpass the influential Mini, launched in 1959, and journalists attempted to describe such a vehicle.

While manufacturers produced new designs, the term was adopted as an informal categorisation. By 1977, the term supermini was used regularly by the British newspaper The Times. That year, two modern superminis - the Ford Fiesta and Vauxhall Chevette - featured among Britain's 10 best selling cars. A new British car launch that year was the Chrysler Sunbeam supermini. Also selling well were the Fiat 127, Renault 5 and Volkswagen Polo, as well as the Japanese built Datsun Cherry.

In October 1984, the Consumers' Association used the term in its annual Car Buying Guide. 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 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 1984 report, it included such cars as the Austin Metro, Vauxhall Nova and Ford Fiesta. This report was also published soon after the launch of a host of other foreign-made superminis which were selling well in Britain - these included the Fiat Uno, Nissan Micra, Peugeot 205, Renault 5 and Volkswagen Polo. The Fiat Uno, launched during the first half of 1983, was widely praised for its high roof which set new standards for interior space and practicality in this size of car. The Peugeot 205, also launched in 1983, won plaudits for its sharp styling and excellent ride and handling.

Ford Fiesta

The Ford Fiesta is a supermini car manufactured by Ford since 1976, lasting seven generations. The Fiesta has been manufactured in Europe, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, China, India, Taiwan, Thailand, and South Africa.

In 2010, the sixth generation Fiesta (Mark VI) was introduced worldwide, making it the first Fiesta model to be sold in North America since the Fiesta Mark I was discontinued at the end of 1980.

The Fiesta has sold over 16 million units since 1976, making it one of the best selling Ford marques behind the Escort and the F-Series.

Development

The Fiesta was originally developed under the project name "Bobcat" (not to be confused with the subsequent rebadged Mercury variant of the Ford Pinto) and approved for development by Henry Ford II in September 1972, just after the launch of two comparable cars – the Fiat 127 and Renault 5. Development targets indicated a production cost US$100 less than the current Escort. The car was to have a wheelbase longer than that of the Fiat 127, but with overall length shorter than that of Ford's Escort. The final proposal was developed by Tom Tjaarda at Ghia. The project was approved for production in autumn 1973, with Ford's engineering centres in Cologne and Dunton (Essex) collaborating

Nissan Micra

The Nissan Micra, known in Latin America and in most of Asia as the Nissan March (マーチ, Māchi), is a supermini car produced by the Japanese manufacturer Nissan since 1982. The Nissan March was not sold in Korea,China, and southern Asia

In Japan, the March replaced the Japanese-market Nissan Cherry and was exclusive to Nissan Japanese dealership network Nissan Cherry Store until 1999, when the "Cherry" network was combined into Nissan Red Stage until 2003. Until Nissan began selling badge engineered superminis from other Japanese manufacturers, the March was Nissan's smallest vehicle, and was not renamed and sold at other Japanese Nissan dealership networks.

First generation (K10; 1982–1992)

Micra K10

Mitsubishi Mirage

The Mitsubishi Mirage is a range of cars produced by the Japanese manufacturer Mitsubishi from 1978 to 2003 and again since 2012. The hatchback models produced between 1978 and 2003 were classified as subcompact cars, while the sedan and station wagon models, marketed prominently as the Mitsubishi Lancer, were the compact offerings. The liftback introduced in 1988 complemented the sedan as an additional compact offering, and the coupé of 1991 fitted in with the subcompact range. The current Mirage model is a subcompact hatchback and it replaces the Mitsubishi Colt sold between 2002 and 2012.

The Mirage has a complicated marketing history, with a varied and much convoluted naming convention that differed substantially depending on the market. Mitsubishi used the Mirage name for all five generations in Japan, with all but the first series badged as such in the United States. However, other markets often utilized the name Mitsubishi Colt and sedan variants of the Mirage have been widely sold as the Mitsubishi Lancer—including in Japan where the two retailed alongside one another. In Japan, the Mirage was sold at a specific retail chain called Car Plaza.

Dacia Logan

The Dacia Logan is a small family car or compact MPV (Logan MCV) produced jointly by the French manufacturer Renault and its Romanian subsidiary Dacia since 2004. It is currently in its second generation and has been manufactured at Dacia's automobile plant in Mioveni, Romania, and at Renault's plants in Morocco, Brazil, Turkey, Russia, Colombia, Iran, India and South Africa. It is also produced as a pick-up at Nissan's plant in Rosslyn, South Africa.

It has also been marketed as the Renault Logan, Nissan Aprio, Mahindra Verito, Renault Tondar 90, Lada Largus (the MCV), Nissan NP200 (the pick-up) or Renault Symbol (the second generation), depending on the existing presence or positioning of the Renault brand.

From 2004 to July 2015, considering only the Dacia Logan model, 1.5 million units were sold worldwide. The same number was reached in 2014 for the Renault Logan/Symbol. Thus the Logan has then been sold at more than 3 million units till 2014.

Logan I (2004–2008)

Designed at Renault's Technocentre near Paris, the Logan was the result of four years of development of the project X90, announced by Renault in 1999, after the buyout of Dacia in 1998.