Background car news Interview

Reference to platform, not segment

Tianshu Xin, CEO of Leapmotor International, said the following in an interview with AutoRAI.nl: “We at Leapmotor have a T03 in the A-segment, a B10 and B05 in the C-segment and the C10 in the D-segment. By the way, in China the Leapmotor B05 goes on sale as Lafa 5, but in Europe we choose a different strategy. This is because the letter in the name of our models refers to the name of the platform rather than the segment. So for us, the B05 and B10 are on the internally christened B platform and the C10 is on the C platform. Those letters are not references to segments.”

Other method

Xin continued: “It is also important to realize that in China we have a different method of designating segments. For us, the A segment is called the A00 segment and the B segment is called A0.”

Segmentation in Europe and China

This calls for some clarification. In Europe, we have the classic division of car segments: A-segment (the smallest city cars, such as the Fiat 500 and Toyota Aygo), B-segment (compact cars such as the Renault Clio and Volkswagen Polo), rising through C- and D-segment to the larger mid-size and luxury cars. These designations have not been officially established by any government agency, but have become established by the industry.

In China, they use a different system, which is more numerical and hierarchical. What we refer to in Europe as A-segment is called A00 in China. The B-segment is called A0 in China. Going one step higher, you will find the A segment in China, which roughly corresponds to the European C segment. It then progresses to B, C and higher, each time moving up the scale to larger cars.

Why this classification?

The Chinese market has quickly become the largest car market in the world. To create order in the huge supply, they chose a clear hierarchical system with numbers. The use of zeros (such as A00 and A0) gives room for sub-segments. Thus, within the compact class, one can distinguish between the very lightest microcars (A00) and slightly larger city cars (A0).

This is also consistent with the Chinese preference for systematic classification. Whereas Europe mainly uses historically grown segment designations, China chose a model that is more scalable in a market with hundreds of models of both domestic and foreign brands.

A00 segment: the ultra-compact cars

The A00 segment has become a hugely popular market segment in China. Consider cars like the Wuling Hongguang Mini EV, which became a first affordable electric car for many city dwellers, as it costs about 5,000 euros. With compact dimensions and simple technology, these models are ideal for crowded cities, where parking is difficult and range is less important.

Characteristics of A00 cars:

• Length often under 3.50 meters
• Very low price and simple design
• Mostly electric, because short city trips are ideal for that

A0 segment: the ‘classic’ small car

So what we think of as B-segment in Europe – think Polo, Clio and Yaris – is called A0 in China. This segment is just a step larger than A00 and offers more space, safety and comfort. Electrification is also booming here, with models like the BYD Dolphin.

Characteristics of A0 cars:

• Length usually 3.80 to 4.10 meters
• Both gasoline and electric variants
• Focused on urban and regional mobility

Differences and similarities with Europe

Although the labels differ, you can see that the functional roles of the cars are similar in both markets. A00 cars are the European A-segmenters, but with an even stronger focus on simplicity and electric drive. The Chinese A0 pretty much corresponds to our B-segment. From the Chinese A segment, you’re in the European C segment (think a Volkswagen Golf or BYD Sealion 6).

So the difference is mainly in the naming and systematics, not so much in the cars themselves. Still, you can see that the Chinese classification responds better to the rapid growth of new subcategories, especially thanks to the advent of EVs.

The impact on the European market

As Chinese brands are becoming more active in Europe, the designations A00 and A0 are also slowly appearing here in press releases and product introductions. For consumers, this can be confusing, as the meaning differs from our familiar A and B segments. Manufacturers and importers often choose to use both terms or make a translation so that it remains clear which class is meant.