the same marque as the rest of their line. Others have created a separate marque (e.g. Lexus, launched by Toyota in 1989) or purchased one (e.g. Bentley, by Volkswagen in 1998). Occasionally, a luxury car is initially sold under a mainstream marque and is later rebranded under a specific luxury marque (for example the Hyundai's Genesis to Genesis G80 as well as the Citroën DS to DS 5). For mass-produced luxury cars, sharing of platforms or components with other models is common, as per modern automotive industry practice. Market categories Premium compact / Subcompact executive The premium compact class is the category of the smallest luxury cars. It became popular in the mid-2000s, when European manufacturers (such as Audi, Volvo, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz) introduced new entry-level models that were smaller and cheaper than their compact executive models. The premium compact cars are usually based on the platform of a compact car (also known as "small family car" or C-segment), while some models may be based on a subcompact car (also known as supermini or B-segment). Examples include the Mercedes-Benz A-Class and CLA-Class, Audi A3, Volvo S40, BMW 1 Series, and 2 Series. Premium compacts compete with well-equipped mid-size cars, and highly optioned premium compact cars can have pricing and features that overlap models in the compact executive segment. Compact executive / compact luxury A compact executive car or a compact luxury car is a premium car larger than a premium compact and smaller than an executive car. In European classification, compact executive cars are part of the D-segment. In North American terms, close equivalents are "compact premium car", "compact luxury car", "entry-level luxury car" and "near-luxury car". Compact executive cars are usually based on the platform of a mid-size car (also known as large family car or D-segment), while some models may be based on a compact car (also known as small family car or C-segment). Executive / mid-size luxury Executive car is a British term for an automobile larger than a large family car. In official use, the term is adopted by Euro NCAP, a European organization founded to test for car safety. It is a passenger car classification defined by the European Commission. Luxury saloon / full-size luxury sedan The next category of luxury cars is known in Great Britain as a "luxury saloon" or "luxury limousine," and is known in the United States as a full-size luxury