Source:ACEA

New PASSENGER CAR REGISTRATIONS in the European Union (EU 27) slid back -16.6% year-on-year in October to 1 027 036 million vehicles, as market contractions affected further major contributors with the end of car fleet incentives effective in Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK. New registrations thus recorded their worst performances since the beginning of this year, respectively -20% to 256 775 units, -28.8% to 139 740, -37.6% to 61 366, and -22.2% to 131 495 new units. In France, where the scheme is due to end in December, new passenger car registrations declined for the fourth consecutive month, -18.7% to 171 950 new vehicles, the hardest drop since July.

In EFTA countries, new registrations rose +5.6% to 34 941 new units thanks to Switzerland's +5.7% increase to 24 133,  Norway's +4.9% surge to 10 683 and Iceland's +64.5% to a more modest 125 new vehicles.
 
The east European car market climbed +12.4%, the fourth consecutive increase to 69 902 new units as registrations grew in Romania, Slovakia, Lithuania, Latvia, and Hungary. By contrast, best of class and largest market, the Czech Republic, recorded -7% new registrations decline to 13 126 units followed by Bulgaria -9.3% to 1 389 new cars.

Ten months into the year, the EU 27 -5.5% new registrations decline revealed the automobile market deterioration to 11 279 542 million units.  In France, new vehicles registered fell -1.4% to 1 829 440 million, Italy's moved down to 7% to 1 683 119 million while Germany's plunged -26.8% to 2 423 627 million. Spain and the UK stayed in positive territories due to the previous month rebounds respectively +9.4% to 848 555 new vehicles and +4.8% to 1 767 154 million.

The east European market's new registrations moved up to -7.8% to 641 569 new units on the same period, and despite four countries negative performances,-- Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia-- thanks to the Czech Republic's +5.3% increase to 138 879 new units due to previous months in positive territories.

EFTA countries +9.5% rise to 349 029 new vehicles registered was nevertheless halved compared with the previous month year-on-year results.

Per car manufacturer in Europe (excluding EFTA) and year-on-year, PSA Group and Renault Group each reported negative figures, respectively -19.7% to 133 499 new units and -17.9% to 110 761 new vehicles and despite signs of a clear upturn in the auto industry due to their respective reimbursements by anticipation of € 1 billion government loans each received in April.  Market shares performed unevenly: PSA' s moved down to 13% compared with 13.5% last year. Renault's solely edged down to 10.8% from 10.9% as the Group's best product, Dacia, a petrol liquefied gas engine car, reported +4% new registrations increase with market penetration up to 2.1% from 1.7%.

On the January-October period, PSA's new registrations dipped -1.7% to 1 528 221 million while market share rose by half a percentage point to 13.5%. Renault's new registrations surged +7% to 1 167 103 million and market penetration edged up to 10.3% (from 9.1%). Equally to the previous month and, despite fierce competition, the best performers included BMW, Nissan, Hyundai, Kia, Volvo Car Corp. and Jagua Land Rover.