The European new car market continued to improve over the first six months of the year although sales were still significantly down on 2008. At the end of June the market was down 10.3% YTD, a 15.7% improvement on the January figure of 26.0% demonstrating a slow but progressive improvement each month, UK analysts Jato Dynamics said on Thursday.
The Volkswagen Golf continued to dominate with sales up 32.8% year on year while VW itself remained the biggest selling brand in Europe.
“Mid-way through the year is a perfect point to take stock of the overall market and to look for established trends rather than short-term peaks and troughs in the market”, said JATO Consult chief David Di Girolamo.
“With localised scrappage incentives now working consistently to improve sales, we can see steady and progressive improvements in new car registrations. It’s impossible to be conclusive, but with the continued roll out of incentive schemes and the possibility of some renewed consumer confidence, it would seem likely that by the end of the year the European car market could more or less recover to 2008 levels.”
Models
The Golf dominated in five of the six months of H1 2009 with only the second placed Ford Fiesta having borrowed its crown for a single month. The top four places did not change in June with the Peugeot 207 and Opel/Vauxhall Corsa holding their positions. The lower half of the chart saw some reshuffling, with the Peugeot 308 a new entry in 10th position at the expense of the Volkswagen Polo which has now dropped out of the top 10 as the old model is discontinued and the redesigned car is introduced.
Brands
Volkswagen was once again Europe’s top-selling car brand in June, up 12.9% year on year and up a marginal 0.7% YTD. Ford was second while Renault improved considerably from sixth to take third place. Opel/Vauxhall and Fiat rounded off the top five.
Countries
Germany once again was the leading market in June, up 40.5% year on year and 26.1% YTD. France, Poland and Slovakia were the only other markets to be up YTD. However, many countries across Europe are progressively reducing their market deficits, and as such the overall volumes have improved by 2.8% since last month.
Top 10 Models
Make & Model | Jun_09 | Jun_08 | % Change Jun | Jun YtD_09 | Jun YtD_08 | % Change YtD |
VOLKSWAGEN GOLF | 59,628 | 44,912 | +32.8% | 286,243 | 254,023 | +12.7% |
FORD FIESTA | 43,338 | 30,394 | +42.6% | 243,340 | 181,285 | +34.2% |
PEUGEOT 207 | 37,361 | 39,584 | -5.6% | 193,778 | 244,078 | -20.6% |
OPEL/VAUXHALL CORSA | 34,540 | 36,442 | -5.2% | 181,751 | 211,578 | -14.1% |
RENAULT CLIO | 32,314 | 37,571 | -14.0% | 144,512 | 200,768 | -28.0% |
FIAT PUNTO | 32,269 | 26,502 | +21.8% | 170,641 | 174,612 | -2.3% |
FORD FOCUS | 31,744 | 35,082 | -9.5% | 160,800 | 212,144 | -24.2% |
FIAT PANDA | 30,346 | 21,178 | +43.3% | 159,976 | 122,563 | +30.5% |
OPEL/VAUXHALL ASTRA | 28,903 | 32,700 | -11.6% | 137,832 | 193,666 | -28.8% |
PEUGEOT 308 | 23,786 | 23,927 | -0.6% | 118,654 | 124,052 | -4.4% |
Top 10 Brands
Make
Jun_09
Jun_08
% Change Jun
Jun YtD_09
Jun YtD_08
% Change YtD
VOLKSWAGEN
165,636
146,692
+12.9%
842,787
836,921
+0.7%
FORD
126,919
118,889
+6.8%
666,548
691,698
-3.6%
RENAULT
112,714
117,528
-4.1%
520,763
637,846
-18.4%
OPEL/VAUXHALL
109,140
118,266
-7.7%
557,739
670,149
-16.8%
FIAT
100,446
88,852
+13.0%
542,115
550,070
-1.4%
PEUGEOT
100,418
96,902
+3.6%
502,721
583,109
-13.8%
CITROEN
90,837
84,385
+7.6%
440,243
485,990
-9.4%
MERCEDES
64,174
62,024
+3.5%
301,283
376,761
-20.0%
TOYOTA
63,621
65,719
-3.2%
361,066
426,651
-15.4%
AUDI
63,027
58,965
+6.9%
327,037
341,767
-4.3%
Sales by Market
Country
Jun_09
Jun_08
% Change Jun
Jun YtD_09
Jun YtD_08
% Change YtD
Austria
36,091
34,713
+4.0%
166,017
168,668
-1.6%
Belgium
43,736
50,689
-13.7%
273,205
330,697
-17.4%
Cyprus
1,366
2,109
-35.2%
8,478
11,801
-28.2%
Czech Republic
16,404
17,246
-4.9%
85,549
93,765
-8.8%
Denmark
9,025
15,386
-41.3%
51,334
85,469
-39.9%
Estonia
982
2,271
-56.8%
5,725
15,206
-62.4%
Finland
7,877
12,142
-35.1%
51,943
88,084
-41.0%
France
235,137
219,754
+7.0%
1,131,315
1,128,896
+0.2%
Germany
427,111
304,036
+40.5%
2,059,405
1,633,169
+26.1%
Great Britain
176,264
209,190
-15.7%
924,955
1,247,479
-25.9%
Greece
23,167
26,499
-12.6%
112,508
158,317
-28.9%
Hungary
5,945
14,619
-59.3%
39,613
82,003
-51.7%
Iceland
725
1,991
-63.6%
1,275
7,141
-82.1%
Ireland
4,828
7,884
-38.8%
46,858
123,991
-62.2%
Italy
209,975
187,210
+12.2%
1,132,462
1,270,122
-10.8%
Latvia
592
1,756
-66.3%
3,083
11,847
-74.0%
Lithuania
889
1,911
-53.5%
4,312
13,416
-67.9%
Luxembourg
4,028
4,902
-17.8%
24,393
29,904
-18.4%
Norway
7,581
9,670
-21.6%
41,747
61,565
-32.2%
Poland *
27,787
27,507
+1.0%
169,817
168,645
+0.7%
Portugal *
12,195
20,979
-41.9%
69,277
114,393
-39.4%
Slovakia
11,103
8,337
+33.2%
45,737
44,118
+3.7%
Slovenia
5,180
6,250
-17.1%
29,446
39,070
-24.6%
Spain
96,668
115,017
-16.0%
432,986
702,239
-38.3%
Sweden
22,393
23,959
-6.5%
102,794
137,884
-25.4%
Switzerland *
27,017
28,861
-6.4%
133,619
150,913
-11.5%
The Netherlands
35,582
47,952
-25.8%
220,884
298,879
-26.1%
Grand Total
1,449,648
1,402,840
+3.3%
7,368,737
8,217,681
-10.3%
* denotes estimated data for June 2009
Make
Jun_09
Jun_08
% Change Jun
Jun YtD_09
Jun YtD_08
% Change YtD
VOLKSWAGEN
165,636
146,692
+12.9%
842,787
836,921
+0.7%
FORD
126,919
118,889
+6.8%
666,548
691,698
-3.6%
RENAULT
112,714
117,528
-4.1%
520,763
637,846
-18.4%
OPEL/VAUXHALL
109,140
118,266
-7.7%
557,739
670,149
-16.8%
FIAT
100,446
88,852
+13.0%
542,115
550,070
-1.4%
PEUGEOT
100,418
96,902
+3.6%
502,721
583,109
-13.8%
CITROEN
90,837
84,385
+7.6%
440,243
485,990
-9.4%
MERCEDES
64,174
62,024
+3.5%
301,283
376,761
-20.0%
63,621
65,719
-3.2%
361,066
426,651
-15.4%
AUDI
63,027
58,965
+6.9%
327,037
341,767
-4.3%
Sales by Market
Country | Jun_09 | Jun_08 | % Change Jun | Jun YtD_09 | Jun YtD_08 | % Change YtD |
36,091 | 34,713 | +4.0% | 166,017 | 168,668 | -1.6% | |
43,736 | 50,689 | -13.7% | 273,205 | 330,697 | -17.4% | |
1,366 | 2,109 | -35.2% | 8,478 | 11,801 | -28.2% | |
16,404 | 17,246 | -4.9% | 85,549 | 93,765 | -8.8% | |
9,025 | 15,386 | -41.3% | 51,334 | 85,469 | -39.9% | |
982 | 2,271 | -56.8% | 5,725 | 15,206 | -62.4% | |
7,877 | 12,142 | -35.1% | 51,943 | 88,084 | -41.0% | |
235,137 | 219,754 | +7.0% | 1,131,315 | 1,128,896 | +0.2% | |
427,111 | 304,036 | +40.5% | 2,059,405 | 1,633,169 | +26.1% | |
176,264 | 209,190 | -15.7% | 924,955 | 1,247,479 | -25.9% | |
23,167 | 26,499 | -12.6% | 112,508 | 158,317 | -28.9% | |
5,945 | 14,619 | -59.3% | 39,613 | 82,003 | -51.7% | |
725 | 1,991 | -63.6% | 1,275 | 7,141 | -82.1% | |
4,828 | 7,884 | -38.8% | 46,858 | 123,991 | -62.2% | |
209,975 | 187,210 | +12.2% | 1,132,462 | 1,270,122 | -10.8% | |
592 | 1,756 | -66.3% | 3,083 | 11,847 | -74.0% | |
889 | 1,911 | -53.5% | 4,312 | 13,416 | -67.9% | |
4,028 | 4,902 | -17.8% | 24,393 | 29,904 | -18.4% | |
7,581 | 9,670 | -21.6% | 41,747 | 61,565 | -32.2% | |
27,787 | 27,507 | +1.0% | 169,817 | 168,645 | +0.7% | |
12,195 | 20,979 | -41.9% | 69,277 | 114,393 | -39.4% | |
11,103 | 8,337 | +33.2% | 45,737 | 44,118 | +3.7% | |
5,180 | 6,250 | -17.1% | 29,446 | 39,070 | -24.6% | |
96,668 | 115,017 | -16.0% | 432,986 | 702,239 | -38.3% | |
22,393 | 23,959 | -6.5% | 102,794 | 137,884 |
-25.4% | |
27,017 | 28,861 | -6.4% | 133,619 | 150,913 | -11.5% | |
The | 35,582 | 47,952 | -25.8% | 220,884 | 298,879 | -26.1% |
Grand Total | 1,449,648 | 1,402,840 | +3.3% | 7,368,737 | 8,217,681 | -10.3% |
* denotes estimated data for June 2009 |