European car sales fell 12% to 1.25m in April from 1.43m a year ago according to the Brussels-based European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA). Sales for the first four months were down 16% year on year to 4.69m.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Discover B2B Marketing That Performs
Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.
ACEA noted that, although government-funded subsidies and scrappage schemes have boosted sales of smaller vehicles in some countries, the makers of larger luxury models have taken a hit, including BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Toyota – particularly the latter’s luxury brand Lexus.
BMW registrations dropped by almost a third to 55,633 even as the German market expanded 19%, helped by the government’s EUR2,500 (US$3,400) incentive to scrap older cars for newer, more efficient models — the most generous ‘scrappage’ offer in Europe.
Daimler posted a 26% decline to 60,214 sales, led by its Mercedes luxury brand, while Toyota volume fell 22% to 57,774 cars. Demand for Volkswagen’s Golf bolstered its sales which were off just 4.2% to 284,607.
PSA Peugeot Citroen registrations fell 15% to 156,726 registrations as Peugeot brand volume slumped 19%. Renault was down 14%.
On the plus side, however, Hyundai increased sales Europe-wide 10% to 27,454 and Fiat also bucked the downward trend with a 4.7% rise to 121,671 as demand for the retro-styled 500 continued to soar.
Germany and Austria (+13%) were the only markets to post increases in April to 380,000 and 36,000 units respectively.
France, which had grown 8% in March on the back of its government incentive scheme, fell away again last month by 7.1% to 184,500 registrations.
Of the other major western European markets, Italy was down 7.5% to 188,500, the UK fell 24% to 133,500 and Spain continued in freefall – down over 46% to 67,200.
Eastern European market registrations dropped 21%, almost twice the rate of decline in the west, as Romanian demand fell by more than half.
Central/east Europe Q1 car sales off 31.8%
