What car would the average Latvian driver most like to drive? Who can he afford to ride with? In retrospect, the top of the list of ideal cars has usually been large station wagons, such as the Volkswagen Passat, Audi A6, Volvo V90, and now and then a prestige brand sedan and SUV joined them.
Such a demand structure still exists in the used car market, only SUVs have become more popular, but fashion and demand in the new car market have changed significantly. Now, in the range of many manufacturers, the first violin is played by compact SUVs and small city crossovers, which, according to people, combine the most useful features.
Driving conditions and car maintenance costs have played a role in the winds of change. Capacious station wagons and SUVs are ideal transport for long trips and taking the family to the countryside. But in moments when we look at the numbers on the fuel pump and sweat, trying to squeeze in between the cars in the parking lot, all the advantages that seem great for a few percent of the time the car is used, don’t seem so convincing anymore.
Mobility is developing in the direction of microcars
In the cities of Western Europe, where the population and density are even higher, traffic problems have been felt for much longer than us, and their solutions are also reflected in the top of the most popular models. Thus, for many years in Western Europe, B-segment vehicles have enjoyed the greatest sales, some of which have been produced in several million copies. According to JATO Dynamics, the Peugeot 208, Opel Corsa and Fiat 500 were among the best-selling models on the Old Continent in 2022.
In addition, with the development of mobility, a micro segment emerged on the flank of small cars, and cars such as Opel Rocks-e, Renault Twizy, Aixam 500 and Citroën Ami found their buyers.
In the case of Ami, sales even exceeded the manufacturer’s expectations. Thanks to an ingenious, well-thought-out micromobility concept, affordability and efficient electric drive, more than 30,000 units of the Ami have been sold in various versions since its debut in late 2020. According to the manufacturer’s data, 84 percent of its buyers are private individuals who chose this car precisely because of its compactness, economy, as well as the convenience that such a small vehicle provides in the city. Ami has the largest outlet in its native France, followed by Italy, Spain and Belgium.
In 2023, Ami will also appear in the Baltic countries, but in some markets this year, Citroën will also launch a special version – My Ami Buggy. Its limited edition of only 50 units sold out in 18 minutes last year.
Are Latvians ready to drive in mini format?
In Europe, driving a small car has a rich tradition. The leaders are the countries of Southern Europe, such as Italy, Spain, and also France, but not only. The reasons for the popularity of small cars are related to tradition, economic development, taxes and the narrowness of megacities. There is also the factor that people in these countries are not so keen to express their ego through the car. Many people buy a vehicle, thinking through and through practically – you should take the smallest one you can get by with.
According to Normunds Avotiņš, head of TV Auto News, another interesting example of a microcar can be found in Japan. The so-called ‘kei car’, which means ‘light car’ in Japanese, has a different historical context. In Europe, the free market has determined everything in the development of the industry, but the introduction of the kei car was a market regulation measure. True, not restrictive, but encouraging, to encourage manufacturers to develop affordable, cheap-to-operate cars.
The size of the first machine was almost like a toy: the length could not exceed 2.5 meters, the width – 1 meter, and the working volume of the engine was 150 cm3 for four-stroke engines and 100 cm2 for two-stroke engines. Since 1950, the technical regulations have been changed several times, allowing microcars to be made larger and more powerful, and all kinds of toll concessions have also been reduced. However, one can only be surprised at how creatively small cars are designed. And, by the way, one of them even has four-wheel drive!
To a European, such a vehicle may seem strange, but the annual kei car sales exceed one million units, and for example, in 2013, their share in the new car market was as much as 40 percent, but currently it is around a third.
The main conclusion is that the economy, environmental requirements and lifestyle trends are able to create conditions when a place for specific transport solutions appears. And as can be seen in the example of Japan, it is not even a matter of a narrow niche, but of a whole ecosystem.
He associates the prospects of microcars in Latvia with the economic situation and changes in the habits of society. Changes in this respect could be brought about by three things – changes in fees, transformation in people’s views and a bold offer by manufacturers.
The fact that our people buy a ten-year-old station wagon or crossover is determined not by the desire to drive an old car or trip over Greta Thunberg, but by financial possibilities. Many people would love to buy a modern small car or even a microcar, but not so many households can afford a large holiday car and a small city car.
I don’t mean teenage mopeds and exotics like the Renault Twizy. I mean a reasonably practical microcar, whose price and maintenance expenses would occupy an adequate place in a person’s monthly expenses and would be quite an interesting alternative to shared services and rental.
By the way, it turns out that Citroën Ami buyers are between 14 and 94 years old, and they represent different social groups. It was determined by an attractive price, the practicality of the model and the possibility to adapt the car to different needs: it can be both a two-seater passenger transport and an electric car for transporting goods. A length of only 2.41 meters and a turning radius of just 7.2 m allow Ami to maneuver freely in the narrowest streets.
Electric drive also offers other benefits, from emission- and noise-free driving to other bonuses such as free parking spaces.
Last October, Citroën began installing an improved 5.5 kWh lithium-ion battery in the Ami. Now it works more efficiently in cold weather, so the car is better adapted to regions with a cool climate. The range of the microcar is 75 kilometers, and charging the small, light battery from the most common electrical socket does not even take three hours.
Currently, the market is saturated with unimaginably expensive electric cars, so I find it sympathetic and important that manufacturers are trying to start something at the other end of the spectrum, which is much more in line with the capabilities of people in many countries. In this respect, I found Citroën Oli presented last year interesting. Let’s see what comes of it! If we talk about microcars, their appearance on the Baltic market will not cause a revolution, but in the case of an interesting price and financing, such a status-neutral daily helper could find a place in major cities.
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