Executive car
Upper middle class is the name of the second highest passenger car segment of the Federal Motor Vehicle Office, so it is between middle class and upper class. In the vehicle segments, the European Commission calls this segment upper class, or E segment. The term upper middle class was coined in the 1980s to vehicles that were more significant than the vehicles of the middle class, but did not reach the quality and criteria of luxury vehicles classified can. The sale takes place primarily at businesses, individuals are only a small part of customers. An exception is the Mercedes -Benz E-Class, which comes to a high for this class of vehicle private share of 30 to 40 percent of total registrations. The new prices are currently located approximately 30000-70000 €.
Market situation
Around since the late 1990s, the market has changed significantly in the upper middle class. Was previously virtually any brand with a model that mostly the top model of the brand represented, represented in this class, so there are these models today practically only of premium brands. The only exception is the Škoda priced lying on the level of a mid-size cars dar. Superb
Ford ( Scorpio, 1985-1998 ), Mazda ( Xedos 9, 1993-2002), Alfa Romeo (166, 1998-2007 ), Kia ( Opirus, 2003-2010 ), Honda ( Legend, 1985-2010 ), Peugeot (607, 2000-2010), Renault ( Latitude, 2011-2012) and Citroën (C6, 2005-2012) have withdrawn completely from this segment; Opel ( Omega, 1986-2003 ) and Nissan ( Maxima, 1988-2004 ) have de facto made room for the introduction of the Group's premium brands, Cadillac or Infiniti in the European market.
For figures on annual new registrations of passenger cars in the segment Upper middle class in Germany according to statistics from the Federal Motor Vehicle Office, see the list of registrations of new passenger cars in Germany by segment and model series # Upper middle class. Five-digit numbers achieved in Germany in 2011, only the models from Audi, BMW, Mercedes -Benz and - by far - Škoda. At least four-digit numbers reached the models of Volvo and Jaguar; the other models reached registrations of less than 250 copies. Implies a total market share of the segment of about 6.5 % was found. The Federal Motor Vehicle Office does not associate the Mercedes -Benz E-Class Coupé and the Škoda Superb to the upper middle class. Less of this model series 2011 resulted in an overall market share of 5.2 %.
In Europe, this class plays out in Germany only in Sweden, where the Volvo V70 since its launch in 1997 is the best selling car, an important role. In the rest of Europe (defined as EU without Bulgaria and Malta, but plus Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Turkey ) the market share of about 3%.
Current Models
Vehicles in Germany offered
BMW 5 Series
Infiniti M
Lancia Thema
Maserati Ghibli III
Mercedes -Benz E-Class
Škoda Superb
Volvo V70