Comparisons by segment — six market categories
Most car-shopping decisions start with a segment, not a brand. Whether you are comparing compacts because €36,000 is the budget or executive saloons because the company-car policy says so, the segment frames the choice. We organise comparisons by the KBA Segmentcode the German registration authority uses.
- 6
- segments tracked
- 27
- comparisons in total
- 78
- anchor models
- KBA
- classification source
Visual size reference
Typical body length by segment, drawn to relative scale
- Compact4,200–4,600 mm
- Mid-size4,600–4,900 mm
- Executive4,900+ mm
- SUV4,300–5,100 mm
- ElectricCross-segment · all sizes
- PerformanceCross-segment · all sizes
Smaller · cheaperLarger · premium →
The six segments we track
Each segment has its own page with its comparisons, anchor models and a buying guide
Compact
C-segment · Kompaktklasse · 4,200–4,600 mmThe largest single segment in Germany — about 22% of new registrations. Reference car: VW Golf. Covers Audi A3, BMW 1 Series, Mercedes A-Class, Octavia, Focus, Corolla and Mazda 3.
- Median UVP
- €34,800
- Anchor models
- 12
- EV share
- 31%
- Trend
- −5.8% yoy
Mid-size
D-segment · Mittelklasse · 4,600–4,900 mmThe premium volume segment: Audi A4, BMW 3 Series, Mercedes C-Class, VW Passat. The A4, 3 Series and C-Class alone account for roughly 40% of segment volume.
- Median UVP
- €52,300
- Anchor models
- 9
- EV share
- 14%
- Trend
- −2.1% yoy
Executive
E-segment · Obere Mittelklasse · 4,900+ mmFlagship territory: Audi A6 and A8, BMW 5 and 7 Series, Mercedes E- and S-Class, Porsche Panamera. Around 80% are company cars, which shapes both spec demand and the used market.
- Median UVP
- €78,400
- Anchor models
- 11
- EV share
- 26%
- Trend
- +1.4% yoy
SUV
Sport Utility · compact to large · 4,300–5,100 mmThe fastest-growing segment in Germany, now 27% of new registrations across all sizes. Covers Audi Q3 to Q8, BMW X1 to X7 and Mercedes GLA to GLS.
- Median UVP
- €58,900
- Anchor models
- 18
- EV share
- 22%
- Trend
- +8.3% yoy
Electric
Battery-electric · all body classesBattery-electric cars of any size, where the powertrain is the buying criterion. Range, charging architecture and software dominate the comparison.
- Median UVP
- €48,200
- Anchor models
- 14
- EV share
- 100%
- Trend
- +24.7% yoy
Performance
High-power variants · all body classesRS, M, AMG, R, GTI and S models — from Golf R to RS6 to M5. Track-day capability is the operative threshold, not body size.
- Median UVP
- €96,400
- Anchor models
- 14
- EV share
- 29%
- Trend
- +3.9% yoy
Segments at a glance
Side-by-side numbers for all six segments — useful when your shortlist spans more than one
| Segment | KBA code | Length range | Power range | Median UVP | Anchor models | EV share | Comparisons | Open |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CompactC-segment · Kompaktklasse · 4,200–4,600 mm | 3 | 4,200–4,600 mm | 75–250 kW | €34,800 | 12 | 31% | 6 | Open → |
| Mid-sizeD-segment · Mittelklasse · 4,600–4,900 mm | 4 | 4,600–4,900 mm | 110–340 kW | €52,300 | 9 | 14% | 2 | Open → |
| ExecutiveE-segment · Obere Mittelklasse · 4,900+ mm | 6 | 4,900+ mm | 160–500 kW | €78,400 | 11 | 26% | 6 | Open → |
| SUVSport Utility · compact to large · 4,300–5,100 mm | SU | 4,300–5,100 mm | 110–460 kW | €58,900 | 18 | 22% | 5 | Open → |
| ElectricBattery-electric · all body classes | cross | all sizes | 125–680 kW | €48,200 | 14 | 100% | 5 | Open → |
| PerformanceHigh-power variants · all body classes | cross | all sizes | ≥300 kW | €96,400 | 14 | 29% | 3 | Open → |
How we classify the segments
Our segmentation follows the Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt (KBA) Segmentcode system used for German new-car registration statistics. KBA defines eleven passenger-car segments; we collapse them into the four mainstream classes most readers shop in — Compact, Mid-size, Executive and SUV — plus two cross-cutting groups, Electric and Performance.
The cross-cutting groups exist because powertrain and performance positioning often dominate the decision regardless of body size. Someone cross-shopping a VW ID.3, BMW i4 and Tesla Model 3 is comparing electric architectures, not one body segment.
Source data
KBA registrations for counts and shares, manufacturer UVP lists for prices (incl. 19% VAT), Euro NCAP reports for safety class. Re-verified quarterly.
What we don't cover
Light commercial vehicles, pickups, motorhomes and micro-cars are out of scope. Coverage is the German market only.
Multi-segment models
Some models sit in two groups — the BMW i4 is both a premium compact and Electric. We list it under its body segment and cross-reference it from the cross-cutting group.
Other ways to browse comparisons
If segment isn't the right axis for what you're shopping, try one of these
Browse by brand
All comparisons grouped by car brand — useful if you are loyal to one manufacturer.
Open →By comparison structureBrowse by type
Cross-brand, generation and trim — three formats, each answering a different question.
Open →EverythingAll comparisons
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