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A 'small family car' is a European classification of cars which are larger than a supermini and smaller than a large family car. In North America, which uses a different classification system, cars of this size are generally referred to as compact cars.
Current small family cars are between 4200 mm and 4350 mm long if they are hatchbacks, or between 4400 mm and 4550 mm if they are cabriolets, saloons or estates. Multi-purpose vehicles and sport utility vehicles based on small family cars, which are called 'compact MPVs' and 'compact SUVs' respectively, have become popular since the early 1990s.
Usual engines are 1.6 to 2.0-litre straight-4s, either petrol or Diesel, with a range between 100 bhp and 150 bhp. Some models also have economical 1.4-litre units. High-performance versions, called hot hatches, may have turbocharged 2.0-litre engines, or even V6 3.2-litre units, ranging maximum outputs from 170 bhp to 260 bhp. Popular small family cars are the Ford Focus, Opel Astra, Peugeot 307, Renault Mégane and Volkswagen Golf.

Contents

History

The small family car market since 1970

1970s

List of small family cars of the 1970s

1980s

List of small family cars of the 1980s

1990s

Small family cars of the 1990s

2000s

Small family cars of the 2000s

See also

History

After the Second World War, European manufacturers usually featured two vehicle types: small cars (or superminis) and large saloons. In the 1960s, some brands found that many middle class buyers wanted something larger than superminis, and built small family cars. These were usually saloons, with the first successful hatchback in this class being the 1974 Volkswagen Golf, which moved the layout of the smaller supermini Renault 5 to this segment. This proved popular and by the end of the decade, several other manufacturers launched hatchbacks like the Fiat Ritmo, Citroën GSA, Renault 14, and Opel Kadett.
The 1980s began with the launch of two more front-wheel drive hatchbacks: the Ford Escort Mk III and the Lancia Delta. Similar cars such as the Renault 11, Peugeot 309, updated Opel Kadett, Renault 19, Fiat Tipo and second generation Rover 200 followed over the course of the decade. Alfa Romeo's venture into this market, the Nissan-based Arna, was one of the few unsuccessful European small family hatchbacks of the 1980s.
The 1990s saw small family cars firmly pitch themselves as the most popular class of car in Europe. The Volkswagen Golf Mk III was launched in 1991 and elected European Car of the Year. Citroën replaced the GSA with the large family car BX and later the small family car ZX. The ZX's chassis spawned the Peugeot 306 in 1993. Fiat replaced the successful Tipo in 1995 with the distinctive Bravo and Brava (three-door and five-door hatchbacks, respectively). In 1998, Ford launched the dramatically-styled and all-new Ford Focus, completing sales of run-out Escort versions in 2000.
Some small family cars have also spawned compact MPVs, the first of which was the 1996 Renault Scénic. The Opel Zafira, Citroën Xsara Picasso, Ford Focus C-MAX, Volkswagen Touran and Fiat Multipla followed and are becoming increasingly popular. In few years they outsold estates and saloons in many countries. A more recent trend is to build coupé cabriolets with components from these vehicles. Examples of this are the Peugeot 307, Opel Astra TwinTop, Renault Mégane CC and Volkswagen Eos.

The small family car market since 1970

1970s

Small family saloons had a strong following among car buyers in the UK as the 1970s dawned, and enjoyed a popularity similar to that of larger family cars such as the enormously successful Ford Cortina. These two sectors were in fact dominant of the new car market at this time, as the Mini and - to a lesser degree - the Hillman Imp were the only popular mini-cars at this time. The Austin 1100/1300 had been Britain's best selling car for most of the time since its launch in 1961, and rival British products included the Ford Escort, Vauxhall Viva and Hillman Avenger. Foreign cars such as the Citroen GS, Peugeot 304 and Datsun Sunny 120Y were being imported, but their sales made up only a small percenage of the small family car sector.
British Leyland replaced the 1100/1300 with the Austin Allegro in 1973, and it sold well despite hefty criticism from the motoring press and public for its unconventional styling and suspect build quality. Ford updated the Escort in 1975 and it quickly established itself as the most popular car in this sector on sale in the UK. The Vauxhall Viva was also a significant sales success, but it finished production in late 1979 on the launch of the all-new Astra - which abandoned the traditional rear-wheel drive saloon in favour of the front-wheel drive hatchback format which was gradually spreading across Europe. The Allegro was front-wheel drive but only came as a saloon or estate, while the Escort was still a rear-wheel drive saloon in 1979 but was due for an imminent replacement by an up-to-date third generation model. The Hillman Avenger continued to sell well as a Chrysler following the 1976 rebranding and as a Talbot after the sale of Chrysler's European operations to French carmaker Peugeot in 1979, in spite of the 1978 launch of the Horizon front-wheel drive hatchback.
One of the first foreign cars to have a major impact on this sector in the UK was the Golf - a Giugiaro-styled front-wheel drive hatchback launched in 1974. It gained a cult following thanks to its practicality, safety, reliability and build quality, and the sporty 'GTI' version sparked a huge demand for "hot hatchbacks" in the UK and many other countries. Other foreign competitors to sell (though in lesser figures) during this era in the UK included the Renault 14, Fiat Strada, Honda Civic and Mazda 323.

List of small family cars of the 1970s

★ Alfa Romeo Alfasud

★ Austin Allegro

★ Chrysler/Simca Horizon

★ Citroen GS

★ Datsun Sunny

★ Fiat 128

★ Fiat Ritmo/Strada

★ Ford Escort

★ Hillman/Chrysler Avenger

★ Honda Civic

★ Hyundai Pony

★ Mazda 323

★ Mitsubishi Lancer

★ Peugeot 304

★ Peugeot 305

★ Renault 6

★ Renault 14

★ Toyota Corolla

★ Vauxhall Viva

★ Volkswagen Golf

★ Volvo 343/345

1980s

The 1980s began with the launch of one of the UK's most important small family cars ever. The MK3 Ford Escort went on sale in the autumn of 1980 and became the latest car in its sector to ditch the rear-drive saloon format in favour of hatchbacks and front-wheel drive. It was Britain's most popular car for most of the decade and also spawned 'XR3i' and 'RS Turbo' "hot hatchback" versions, as well as a practical Orion saloon which was launched in 1983.
Vauxhall's new Astra quickly established itself as a popular choice among British buyers, and the aerodynamically-styled 1984 MK2 model carried off where the 1979 original left off. The 'GTE 16v', with a top speed of nearly 140mph, was the fastest hatchback in the world in the late 1980s.
British Leyland called time on Allegro production in early 1983 and replaced it with the all-new Maestro. It was initially very popular thanks to its impressive spaciousness and practicality, but doubts over reliability and build quality saw its popularity decline towards the end of the decade and not even the introduction of swift MG badged models could boost sales. Successor organisations Austin Rover and Rover Group kept the Maestro on the price lists in spite of its disappointing sales - and the fact that a second similar-sized car had been on sale since 1981. The venture with Japanese carmaker Honda had seen the launch of the Triumph Acclaim, a four-door saloon which set new British benchmarks for reliability and build quality. It was succeeded by the Rover 200 in 1984 and this model was even more popular. The 1989 replacement for this model was an instant hit with buyers and gave Rover hope of more success during the 1990s.
History was made just before the end of 1985 when the first Peugeot car - a 309 - rolled off the Ryton production line. The Talbot marque was ditched soon afterwards so Peugeot could concentrate on producing some of its own range in the UK, and the 309 was one of Britain's most popular small family cars in the late 1980s.
The MK2 Volkswagen Golf went on sale in the UK at the start of 1984 and maintained the success and popularity of its predecessor. Other foreign small family cars to succeed during the 1980s included the Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic, Mazda 323 and Nissan Sunny. 1988 saw the arrival of two more impressive foreign imports - the Fiat Tipo and Renault 19 - which were arguably the best small family cars made in Europe at the time and gave the foreign-orientated family motorist even more to choose from as the new decade dawned.

List of small family cars of the 1980s

★ Alfa Romeo 33

★ ARG Maestro

★ Fiat Tipo

★ Ford Escort

★ Ford Orion

★ Honda Civic

★ Hyundai Pony

★ Lada Samara

★ Mazda 323

★ Nissan Sunny

★ Peugeot 309

★ Renault 9

★ Renault 11

★ Renault 19

★ Rover 200

★ Skoda Favorit

★ Toyota Corolla

★ Vauxhall Astra/Opel Kadett

★ Volkswagen Golf

1990s

Ford began the 1990s by replacing its 10-year-old Escort (and the Orion saloon version) with an all-new model. The new Escort/Orion range was one of the most eagerly-anticipated launches of the year, but met with disappointment among buyers who expected more from the car in terms of design flair and driven appeal. It didn't stop the Escort from being Britain's best selling small family car throughout the decade though. Two mild facelifts during the 1990s saw the Escort go from strength to strength, though it was starting to look a little dull and outdated by the time the end of the decade was in sight. Its eventual successor - the stylish Focus - went on sale in September 1998, but Ford hedged its bets with this radical new design and kept the Escort in production for two more years, as a cheap and conventional alternative to its more adventurous successor.
Vauxhall rejuvenated its Astra with the launch of an all-new model in October 1991, and although the new model was a big improvement over its predecessor it failed to match the Escort's sales success. Its replacement in early 1998 was a better-looking, better-built, better-handling and more reliable contender.
Rover's 200 Series - launched over the autumn of 1989 - was very popular with British buyers during the early 1990s, and its successor - launched in 1995 - initially achieved the same success. But a dip in sales during 1999 suggested that the car needing a major overhaul to keep in pace with its competitors, and that overhaul came in the form of a facelift which saw it transformed into the Rover 25 and re-positioned as a supermini.
As well as the Volkswagen Golf (which entered its third incarnation in 1991 and its fourth in 1997), another foreign car to prove popular with British family buyers was the 1993 Peugeot 306 - though it was actually built in England at Ryton. Its sharp looks, refined diesel engines and impressive ride and handling attracted huge sales throughout the decade, at the end of which it was still one of the most impressive offerings in its sector despite being more than six years old.
Renault's Megane, which replaced the successful Renault 19, arrived on the UK market in early 1996 and was an instant hit with British buyers, being the nation's fifth best selling new car in 1998. Its comfortable ride, impressive diesel engines and good equipment levels were a winning formula for success, and a mild makeover midway through 1999 strengthened its position.
Other foreign imports to sell well in this sector during the 1990s including the Citroen ZX, its successor the Xsara, the Fiat Brava/Fiat Bravo, the Nissan Almera and the latest incarnations of the long-running Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla and Mazda 323.

Small family cars of the 1990s

★ Alfa Romeo 145

★ Alfa Romeo 146

★ Audi A3

★ BMW 3 Series Compact

★ Citroen ZX

★ Citroen Xsara

★ Daewoo Nexia

★ Daewoo Lanos

★ Daihatsu Applause

★ Fiat Brava

★ Fiat Bravo

★ Ford Escort

★ Ford Focus

★ Honda Civic

★ Hyundai Accent

★ Kia Mentor

★ Kia Shuma

★ Lancia Delta

★ Mazda 323

★ Nissan Sunny

★ Nissan Almera

★ Peugeot 306

★ Proton Persona

★ Renault 19

★ Renault Megane

★ Rover 200

★ SEAT Cordoba

★ Skoda Felicia

★ Toyota Corolla

★ Vauxhall/Opel Astra

★ Volkswagen Golf

2000s

Despite raising a few eyebrows on its launch in terms of style, the Ford Focus quickly proved to be an instant hit with UK buyers and by the time of the second generation model's launch in December 2004 it had been Britain's most popular car every since month since May 2000. The MK2 Focus inherited its predecessor's attributes and most importantly built on its sales success.
The relatively dull-looking but fun-handling Vauxhall Astra played second fiddle to the Focus right up to the launch of an all-new fifth generation model in March 2004, and in 2005 and 2006 the latest Astra was Britain's second most popular new car thanks largely to its distinctive styling, excellent ride and handling, solid build quality, good equipment, wide trim range and impressive reliability.
The iconic Volkswagen Golf entered its fifth incarnation at the beginning of 2004 and maintained the huge sales success of its predecessor. But perhaps the most surprising success so far this decade would have to be the Renault Megane II, launched in November 2002 with styling quite unlike any other offering in this sector at the time. Some onlookers doubted that the latest Megane could match its predecessor's sales success in the UK, but it ended up reaching even greater heights. In 2005, the Megane II was Britain's fourth most popular new car. Other impressive offerings in the small family car sector currently include the Peugeot 307, Honda Civic, Toyota Auris, Citroen C4 and Mazda 3. The small family sector is now firmly establishd as Britain's most favoured sector. In 2004, five of Britain's 10 best selling cars were in this sector - compared to just three in 1992. Many of these sales have been won from would-be buyers of larger cars who want something with less size but more specification. Back in 1992, the top 10 in the UK featured three larger family cars, but from 2001 to 2006 has featured just one.

Small family cars of the 2000s

★ Alfa Romeo 147

★ Audi A3

★ BMW 1 Series

★ Chevrolet Lacetti

★ Citroen C4

★ Fiat Stilo

★ Ford Focus

★ Honda Civic

★ Hyundai Accent

★ Hyundai Elantra

★ Kia Cerato

★ Kia Cee'd

★ Mazda 323

★ Mercedes-Benz A-Class

★ Nissan Almera

★ Nissan Versa

★ Peugeot 307

★ Renault Megane

★ Rover 45/MG ZS

★ SEAT Cordoba

★ SEAT Leon

★ Suzuki Liana

★ Suzuki SX4

★ Toyota Corolla

★ Toyota Auris

★ Vauxhall/Opel Astra

★ Volkswagen Golf

★ Volkswagen Bora

★ Volvo C30

See also

★ List of current small family cars

★ Compact car

★ Compact MPV

★ Compact SUV

★ Economy car

★ Hot hatch

★ Large family car

★ Supermini car