Source:ACEA

17 JAN. 2011

New PASSENGER CAR REGISTRATIONS in the European Union (EU 27) moved up four percentage points to -3.2% in December year-on-year to 1 009 638 million vehicles pushed up by the German market's +6.9% increase to 230 371 new vehicles and trailed by France's 228 316 new units to -0.7%.

By contrast, Italy and the UK, the EU 27 third and fourth larger automobile markets, contracted further respectively -21.7% and -18.%. Western Europe's negative performance, -4.5% dip to 926 883 new vehicles registered included Spain's -23.9% decline to 68 942 new units but lesser markets upwards trends clearly pointed towards a tangible upturn:  in Belgium and Sweden, new registrations, on a positive course since the beginning of the year, slowed down to an average 29 506 new units but still climbed respectively +10.6% and +53.7%. Austria's market expanded +4.9% to 20 366 new units, followed by the Netherlands +44.5% increase to 11 593 new vehicles. 

East European member states +18.7% leap to 82 755 new registrations lifted somewhat the Union's grade with eight member states recording their sixth uninterrupted rise: the Czech Republic's rose +2.1% to 15 129 new units, Romania's grew +10.2% to 12 472, Slovakia's jumped +81.5% to 7 733 new vehicles followed by Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland. In Hungary, new registrations fell -9.3% to 3 908 new units.

In EFTA countries, new passenger car registrations moved down to +12.3% to
38 740 units as Norway's dip, -1.1% to 10 136 new vehicles impacted down overall figures despite Switzerland's +17.6% increase to 28 379 units. In Iceland, registrations grew +120.6% to 225 new vehicles.

Per manufacturer, GM, BMW, Hyundai, Kia, Volvo Car Corp., Honda, and Mitsubishi recorded positive figures. PSA Group's new registrations fell -6.8% to 135 889 new units and dragged market share to 13.5% from 14%. Renault Group's new registrations decreased by 1.1% to 107 828 units while market penetration edged up to 10.7% (from 10.5%) thanks to Dacia's +2.6% new registrations increase.

In one year, western Europe's -5.6% new registrations decline to 12 556 892 million new vehicles and eastern Europe -3.2% drop to 803 707 new cars led to the Union's recording 13 360 599 million new registrations or -5.5%. The region's performance reflected each turbulent economic contexts impacts over consumer demand but recovery from earlier abyssal levels.  

On the same period, inversely to December, the UK‘s +1.8% new registrations increase totaled 2 030 846 million new units and Spain's +3.1% to 982 015 new vehicles. In Germany, where the car fleet incentive ended by mid-year compared with France's year-end, new registrations decreased by 23.4% to 2 916 260 million while France's fell -2.2% to 2 251 669 million. In Italy, new registrations declined -9.2% to 1 960 282 million despite the local market's month-on-month constant contractions. Belgium's automobile market +14.9% increase to 547 347 new registrations mirrored the country's uninterrupted demand equally to Sweden‘s +35.7% rise to 289 684 units. The Netherlands +24.9% add on to 483 619 new vehicles accounted for noticeable increases from mid to year-end.

Renault Group remained among the top 10 best performers list with new registrations increasing +4.4% to 1 387 645 million new units and market penetration up one percentage point, equally to November to 10.4%.  PSA Group recorded -2.8% new units decline but led by new registrations in volume to 1 805 275 million units and market penetration, up by 0.4 points to 13.5% from a year earlier.