Falling saloon sales could see mid-size models exodus

With sales of medium-sized saloons predicted to fall from a recent peak of 800,000 units in western Europe to an all- time low of 500,000 this year, predictions are being made for more car makers to abandon the market altogether.

Pinched between increasing sales of crossover and SUVs on one side and premium-badged saloons being offered at temptingly-low finance rates on the other, cars that were once our favourites are withering on the vine. It was less than two decades ago that Tony Blair rode to the British premiership on the votes of, as his New Labour marketeers put it, "Mondeo Man", but that voter is now much more likely to be behind the wheel of a plutocratic BMW or Audi.

The Mondeo, which is set for a relaunch this year, is just the highest profile sales casualty of the mass-abandonment by buyers of this once-mighty market segment. Even though VW sells, for instance, just over a million Passats every year, were the new model not sharing all of its heavy-investment underpinnings with the Golf, Audi A3 and Skoda Octavia, it’s business case would simply not add up.

There are those worse off, however. Toyota has recently admitted that it is looking closely at the performance of its Avensis saloon in Europe. That car has seen its sales fall by about 28 per cent (although it remains a strong performer in the Irish market). Toyota could well decide to either replace it with a global model, one more tuned to the desires of the US and Chinese markets (both still saloon-hungry), or could well decide to "do a Nissan" and drop its saloon altogether in favour of a crossover or SUV model.

That's a decision which rival Honda is even closer to making. Sales of its Accord have plummeted to just under 1,400 units in April, a figure which is little short of calamitous. Although Honda officials will not say anything other than that the Accord will still be on European sale next year, it seems likely that the car is sadly for the chop in Europe.

Ford and Renault, though, are fighting back. When the new Mondeo launches later this year it will come with the option of a high-end version badged Vignale. Not only will that model feature greater equipment and quality levels, but it will come with other touches (free car washes for life!) that Ford hopes will tempt buyers away from its German rivals.

Likewise, Renault will shortly launch it’s Initiale Paris line that will offer buyers premium versions of various models in an attempt to quell the German invasion of middle-class driveways.