Sozioökonomische Daten auf Rasterebene (SUF 7.1). PKW-Segmente
Due to an increasing variety of the product lines of car manufacturers, brand manufacturers supply cars in almost every segment. The brand of one's car does not allow for conclusions about the socio-economic status. For the car segments, cars have been aggregated to classes that allow for this kind of conclusion. In addition to the car capability, car segments provide information on the intended use of the car. The dataset comprises of 12 car segments: mini cars, compact cars, lower mid-range cars, mid-range cars, upper mid-range cars, top-of-the-range cars, ATVs, cabriolets, estate cars, vans, utility vehicles, other vehicles (microm 2016, p. 96). The following classes are available.
Mini cars: Mini cars used to be included in the segment of small cars, but not constitute an own segment due to an increased market share. These vehicles are characterized by an exceptionally small size. Sometimes they only provide two seats (examples: Renault Twingo, Ford Ka, VW Up, Peugeot 107 and smart fortwo) (microm 2016, p. 97).
Compact cars: The definition of a compact car is controversial and has changed over time. The general idea is that of a cheap way to be mobile on four wheels with a roof, often with compromises regarding space and comfort (examples: VW Polo, Opel Corsa, Ford Fiesta, Fiat Punto, Peugeot 207 and Renault Clio) (microm 2016, p. 97).