by Brian Byrne. Sales of so-called 'niche' cars have increased their penetration of the total Eurpean market to the point that they represent one in every four sales.
These include derivatives such as the Opel Corsa-based Meriva at one end and premium SUVs at the other.
The upward trend of niche vehicle sales can be benchmarked against 1999, when they represented less than 17 percent of the market.