Family car
Middle class is the designation for cars of a particular vehicle class. Below the middle class compact cars are located. Above the middle class vehicles are referred to as upper middle class. The European Commission refers to vehicles of the middle class as the upper middle class, in the EuroCar classification is the D- segment. The sale takes place primarily at businesses, individuals are only a small part of the customers, for example 13.9 % for the VW Passat in 2008. An exception is the Mercedes -Benz C-Class, which is always a both for this class of vehicle as well as the generally high private share of 35 to 50 percent is of total registrations. The new prices for cars of the middle class have a wide range, some models such as the Skoda Octavia can be purchased at € 20,000, and others such as the Audi A4 range up to over € 40,000 addition.
History
The middle class was historically the third class of vehicle that formed. After the luxury -class cars and serving for mass mobilization small car was built here between a middle class.
This class is first divided the lower middle class or compact class from smaller models. The sometimes slightly larger V6 models were first defined in the 1980s as a separate class, the so-called upper middle class.
Mid-class vehicles are usually offered as a four-door sedan with a notchback and station wagon. As a basic engine (as of 2012) currently serves mostly a four-cylinder engine with approximately 75 to 90 kW ( 102-122 hp).
Due to rising gas prices and the growing car anyway, the market for very large cars has shrunk significantly in Western Europe. This means that in many manufacturers, the model range with the middle class ends. In individual cases, a common successor of models of central and upper middle class is being developed, which is then classified into the middle class. A particularly clear example of this is the Peugeot 508, which replaces the midrange model Peugeot 407 and the larger Peugeot 607.
The North American term Mid-Size Car Intermediate Car or is legally defined and referred to the local middle class, equivalent to the European only since about 1980. Previously, the local mid-range models were significantly larger. A Upper middle class, there are not in the legal sense, however, offer some premium producer two mid-range models to, of which the larger rival models of the upper middle class from Europe.
Currently offered in Germany models
BMW 3 Series
BMW of 4
Citroën C5
Citroën DS5
Honda Accord
Kia Optima
Mercedes -Benz C-Class
Opel Insignia
Peugeot 508
Toyota Avensis
VW Passat
VW CC
Current U.S. American middle class vehicles
Dodge Avenger
Ford Fusion
Hyundai Sonata
Toyota Camry
VW Passat ( U.S. version )
Registrations in Germany
For figures on annual new registrations of passenger cars of the middle class segment 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 # middle class.