Germany’s new car market was up 10.5% in January according to data from the German KBA transport authority.
The KBA said 241,399 new vehicles were sold in January. The high growth rate reflects a relatively buoyant German economy. Some 3.35m cars were sold in Germany in 2016, as the market added 150,000 units to its 2015 total. The German market has effectively fully recovered to pre-financial (pre-2009) crisis levels.
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January’s strong market growth may have been driven by the calendar effect of two extra working days. However, that would still leave sales running at around last year’s buoyant level.
January was a strong month for domestic brands with Mercedes (up 20%), BMW (+18.8%), Smart (+18.4%) and BMW-owned Mini (+15.2%). However, Audi sales were down (-0.3%). Volkswagen brand car sales were up 20%, the market apparently unconcerned by ‘dieselgate’.
Analysts say that the German car market is unlikely to record much growth this year from its current high level. Consumer sentiment may also be impacted by rising prices and political uncertainties ahead of elections.
