Registrations hit 10-year high

New car registrations in the 29 European markets analysed by JATO Dynamics hit a 10-year high in September, with 1,495,815 units registered. That is an increase of 7.1% compared to the same month last year.

For the year to date, registrations have reached 11.6 million units, an increase of 7.7% when compared to 2015. This is the best result since 2008.

The strong results were driven by good performances in Italy, Poland, Belgium, Austria and Spain, which recorded increases of 17.4%, 19.8%, 13.7%, 14.9% and 13.4% respectively. All told, 16 of the 29 countries reported double-digit growth while only three – Ireland, the Netherlands and Greece – decreased by 1.5%, 4.8% and 9.9% respectively.

Felipe Munoz, global automotive analyst at JATO Dynamics, said, ‘Following a return to growth in August, September’s results show that the automotive industry is continuing to benefit from a more stable economy and new product launches. The industry does face challenges, notably regarding investment considerations as a result of Brexit, but at present it remains buoyant.’

Volkswagen Group continued on a downward trajectory in September, but its losses have stabilized. Its marketshare declined from 23.2% in September 2015 to 22.9%, while the Renault-Nissan Alliance increased its marketshare from 12.4% to 12.9%.

The biggest surprise of the month came from premium manufacturers, BMW and Daimler. BMW outsold Ford due to a 13% increase in overall volumes compared to the same period last year, and double digit growth from all of its brands, while Daimler registrations were up by 17.8%.

The Mercedes brand also performed exceptionally well, it recorded a 17.8% increase on the same period last year and registered 91,572 vehicles in September which made it the best-selling premium brand in Europe for the month.

Felipe added, ‘With SUVs continuing to dominate the market, this is having an impact on the performance of all manufacturers. Competition in this segment is increasing further, with no sign of this changing in 2017 as further SUV launches are set to hit the market.’