Car classifications

Jesus.

I was just thinking about the car segments we use.

If you take Volvo and Audi, would you lads correspond the S40 to the A4, the S60 to the A6 and the S80 to the A8? Or would you go A4/S60 and A6/S80?

I'm just using these cars as an example because I find that these days, official car segment classifications don't mean an awful lot. Manufactures tend to put models into segments more for marketing purposes than anything else. The new Octavia for example could be considered a D segment/large family car and the Rapid being the small family hatch. Or you could call the Octy a small family hatch and the Superb the large family car. I think its up to the drivers/customers to decide what segments cars really slot into.

What do you boys think?

MuppetCheck

S40 or newer V40/A3
A4/S60
A6/S80

Jesus.

MuppetCheck wrote: »

S40 or newer V40/A3
A4/S60
A6/S80

Of course! Totally forgot about the A3!

So, considering the Octavia has gotten much bigger since the first one came out, how would you line Skoda's fleet up against VW's?

Fabia/Polo, Rapid/Golf, Octavia/Jetta and Superb/Passat?

or would you go

Rapid/ Golf-Jetta, Octavia/Passat and Superb/Phaeton?

mickdw

AS you say, the traditional classes are getting a bit messed up. Volvo were always slighly out of step as per your first example.
With skoda, I would certainly put the rapid well below jetta / golf, Octavia above jetta /golf but just under the passat and Superb, regardless of its size etc, a passat competitor. I personally think this Octavia is now too expensive.

bazz26

The new Skoda Rapid and Seat Toledo are still based on the Polo saloon which is not offered here. The Rapid effectively replaced the old Fabia saloon while the new Toledo replaced the Cordoba which was a booted Ibiza.

The Octavia is still based on and competes with the Golf/Jetta/Leon/A3 even though it has grown in size and price.

Jesus.

bazz26 wrote: »

The new Skoda Rapid and Seat Toledo are still based on the Polo saloon which is not offered here. The Rapid effectively replaced the old Fabia saloon while the new Toledo replaced the Cordoba which was a booted Ibiza.

The Octavia is still based on and competes with the Golf/Jetta/Leon/A3 even though it has grown in size and price.

That's all true Bazzer but as I said in the OP, manufacturers classifications don't match up these days so I think its up to us, the drivers, to decide what segment they're really in.

As you say, the Octavia still officially competes with the Golf/Jetta but given that its grown in size and price, it competes in name only. In reality it probably competes more with the Passat now than the Golf.

bazz26

I'd doubt it to be honest, cars in the next segment up from the Octavia are getting bigger and more expensive too. The next generation Passat is going to be bigger than the current one and most likely have a matching price tag.

Skoda may be trying to push the Octavia up market and price it accordingly but that doesn't mean it will be embraced that way.

coylemj

I always found the 'What Car' categories useful, they do awards for family car, executive car, hot hatch etc....

http://www.whatcar.com/awards/

Jesus.

That's true Bazzer. What's blurred the lines even further is brand new cars being squeezed "in between" existing models. The Rapid is an example of that, IE bigger than a supermini but behind the small family car. The new Audi saloon that will be below the A4 is another.

Coylemj, that's a good suggestion. Thanks for the link.

gowley

bazz26 wrote: »

The new Skoda Rapid and Seat Toledo are still based on the Polo saloon which is not offered here. The Rapid effectively replaced the old Fabia saloon while the new Toledo replaced the Cordoba which was a booted Ibiza.

The Octavia is still based on and competes with the Golf/Jetta/Leon/A3 even though it has grown in size and price.

its based on a stretched polo. it has 50 litres more boot space than a jetta

dr.fuzzenstein

Jesus. wrote: »

:eek:

Jesus.

Nice one Dr Fuzzenstein!

Question, would you consider a Superb a Luxobarge? Personally I wouldn't. A bit of a barge yes but a Luxobarge no. I'd say you'd have to go up to a Phaeton or a Chrysler 300 or an S class for that tag.