European car sales dropped by 2,3% in July, but still is well ahead on the full year to date.

• New car registrations dropped by 2.3% in July compared to the same period last year
• Volkswagen continued to be the best-selling brand despite a reduction in overall market share
• The SUV segment continued to grow, posting an 11.9% increase

New car registrations in the 29 markets analysed by JATO Dynamics dropped by 2.3% in July, falling from 1.18 million in July 2015 to 1.16 million for the same period this year. This fall in registrations marked the end of 34 months of continuous growth, the last time European registrations fell was August 2013. 

The two fewer working days in July may have been a contributor to this result, along with the significant decline of two of the largest European car groups, PSA and VW, who recorded a 13.2% and 8.8% fall in registrations respectively.

The UK posted a slight increase of 0.1% which is an improvement on June’s figures. Of the large markets, France and Germany recorded significant drops of 9.6% and 3.9% respectively, whilst the others recorded modest increases, with Italy posting a 2.6% rise and Spain a 4.4% increase.

Volkswagen was the best-selling brand, with 136,393 units registered, accounting for 11.8% of the total market. But in comparison, in July 2015 its volume of 152,863 accounted for 12.9% of the total market. 

Despite still leading the market in terms of sales, Volkswagen recorded the highest drop of any brand in the top ten, falling by 10.8% compared to the same period last year, closely followed by Skoda and Peugeot who both recorded a 10.5% drop. 

Volkswagen’s fall in demand could be attributed to the emissions issue and anticipation ahead of the launch of the updated version of the Volkswagen Golf at the Paris Motor Show in October.

Mercedes posted the highest increase in the top ten, but this was a modest 3.7%, which saw the brand register 66,153 units in July 2016. Outside of the top ten, Dacia (+11.5%), Suzuki (+19.5%), Mini (+10.7%), Land Rover (+33%), Honda (+15.3%) and Jeep (+11.4%) recorded double-digit growth largely driven by their SUVs. 

Other strong performers were Infiniti which posted a dramatic increase of 218% registering 1,768 units, largely due to the popularity of the Q30 and QX30. Jaguar was another big improver, posting a 32.5% increase due to strong demand for its mid-size SUV the F-Pace.

The Volkswagen Golf was still the best-selling model, with 36,540 units registered in July, but its volume dropped considerably, resulting in the model’s second lowest market share since December 2012. 

By comparison, in July 2015 Volkswagen registered 46,628 models. This decline coincides with the model’s biggest rival, the new generation Opel/Vauxhall Astra becoming the fourth best-selling car in Europe, registering 20,954 units, up by 26% on the same period last year. 

The other big players all posted double digit falls, including the Ford Focus (-12.3%), Skoda Octavia (-17.9%), Peugeot 308 (-19.7%) and the Audi A3 (-25.9%). The Mercedes A-Class and the Volvo V40 were two of the C-segment models that saw an increase in sales.

In the subcompact segment it was the Opel/Vauxhall Corsa which stood out, registering a significant increase of 9.2% in contrast to its major rivals such as the Volkswagen Polo, Ford Fiesta and Renault Clio which posted declines of 6.1%, 3.3% and 11.4% respectively. 

The Dacia Sandero was the other popular subcompact to post an increase with a dramatic 30.5% rise on the same period last year.

Felipe Munoz, Global Automotive Analyst at JATO Dynamics commented: “July marked the first decline in new car registrations in almost three years. This was largely driven by market conditions but there have been some significant drops recorded by some of the most popular models and brands.”

The SUV segment continued to grow, increasing registrations by 11.9% compared to July 2015, meaning it now accounts for 25.5% of the overall market, largely due to growth amongst the D-SUV and C-SUV groups, at the expense of the Compact, MPV and large Sedan/SW segments. 

The Nissan Qashqai kept its position as the best-selling SUV, registering 18,373 units, but this was a 6.9% drop on the same period last year. 

It was its newer rivals such as the Renault Kadjar, Hyundai Tucson and Kia Sportage which drove the segment’s growth, posting significant increases of 127%, 586% and 24% respectively. The new generation of the Volkswagen Tiguan meant the model reversed the downward trend seen last month, posting a small 0.2% increase.

The Peugeot 2008 boosted the B-SUV segment’s registrations with a rise of 6.9%. Amongst the larger SUVs, the Volvo XC60 maintained its lead of the mid-size group despite the rise of the Mercedes GLC, beating both the Audi Q5 and BMW X3. 

The Jaguar F-Pace was the eighth best-selling D-SUV. Volvo also led in the large SUV segment, thanks to the 15% increase posted by the XC90 which surpassed the BMW X5 (-4.8%), Mercedes GLE (+78%), Audi Q7 (+5.3%) and Range Rover Sport (+31%).

MPVs continued to decline, with registrations down by 11% despite the strong performance of the Volkswagen Touran which posted the highest percentage increase of the month (+144%). Other big segment winners were the midsize Audi A4 and Skoda Superb, the compact SUV BMW X1, the B-SUVs Ford Ecosport, Suzuki Vitara and Jeep Renegade, and the midsize SUV Nissan X-Trail. 

At the other end of the spectrum, the biggest drops were recorded by the Mercedes CLS, Porsche Panamera and Cayenne, Volkswagen Touareg, Citroen C5, DS 5, Nissan Pulsar, Hyundai i40 and Mitsubishi Space Star.

Felipe Munoz, Global Automotive Analyst at JATO Dynamics concluded: “Despite July’s slightly disappointing results, the full year figures are unlikely to be impacted too severely. The lower growth rates we are currently seeing are likely to moderate the larger growth rates we have seen in some of the biggest markets over the past three years”. 

JATO's latest results shows that July was a poor month for the big five European countries, but YTD is still doing well.

• France recorded the biggest fall, with new car registrations in July down 9.6% compared to the same period last year
• New SUV sales grew by 12.5% and accounted for more than a quarter of all registrations, with traditional segments continuing to lose ground
• Volkswagen lost more ground to its competitors as registrations fell 13.9% compared to July 2015

New car registrations in Europe’s ‘Big 5’ markets dropped by 2% in July, as market conditions halted the positive trend that had dominated over the previous 15 months. While Spain, Italy and the UK all posted modest growth in July, this could not fully compensate for the declines seen in France and Germany. 

Overall registrations for the month totalled 836,431 units, down from 853,701 units in July 2015. This slowdown is partly due to July 2016 having two fewer working days compared to July 2015. As Europe’s largest carmaker, the double-digit fall in VW Group’s monthly sales also had an impact.

The biggest decline was posted by France, with total registrations for July falling 9.6% compared to the same month last year, to 132,893 units. Sales in Germany, Europe’s largest market, fell 3.9%, taking its total registrations down to 278,878 compared to 290,196 last year. Spain grew 4.4% to 108,769 units and sales in Italy were up 2.6% to 137,368 units. Demand appeared to be cooling in the UK, which saw an increase of just 0.1% - this is as a result of exceptionally strong demand in 2015, and a continuing drop in private sales.

Volkswagen continues to be Europe’s largest brand, despite suffering the biggest market share drop of any of its competitors – 13.2% in July 2015 to 11.6% in July 2016. 

The decline shows that Volkswagen’s emissions issue continues to affect the company, with the car maker still being fined in some European markets. 

The biggest market share growth among the top 10 brands was posted by Fiat, this comes despite a fall in sales from the Fiat 500. Fiat’s sales were boosted by the new Fiat Tipo, and the continued growth of the B-SUV Fiat 500X. 

There was a good performance from the new Opel/Vauxhall Astra as the model continued to grab more market share in the compact segment, meaning that the Opel/Vauxhall brand was able to increase market share. 

Other big winners include Dacia, who posted double-digit growth in four of the five markets, thanks mostly to the Sandero hatchback, Kia’s new Sportage, and the good results of Land Rover’s updated Evoque. 

Infiniti posted the highest percentage increase (+233%) and was followed by Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Land Rover and Jaguar.

“Traditionally there is a drop in demand ahead of summer, but it is clear that Europe has started to feel the effect of Volkswagen’s emissions issue.” said Felipe Munoz, Global Automotive Analyst at JATO Dynamics.

In terms of segments, SUVs continued to grow their market share, with their registrations in July accounting for more than a quarter of the total market (25.8%). 

This growth is expected to continue as new important players such as the updated Ford Kuga, new Mini Countryman and Dacia Duster are unveiled over the upcoming months. 

The drop in traditional segments outweighed the growth of SUVs, with large/luxury cars, city-cars and MPVs posting the biggest losses of the month.

The Volkswagen Golf continued to lead as Europe’s favourite model, but its dominance is more vulnerable than ever. Its volume continued to decline as it awaits its first facelift, which is expected at the Paris Motor Show in October. 

New model releases have had a huge impact on Golf sales; in fact, while the current Golf (launched in 2011) posted a 24% fall, the new Opel/Vauxhall Astra grew by 17%. The Fiat Tipo was the best- selling compact car in Italy, and became the 12th best-selling compact car overall with 5,300 units. 

Among the top sellers, the biggest winner of the month was the Dacia Sandero which posted double-digit growth in four out of the five markets, and came in at 11th position with a volume growth of 27%. 

The Nissan Qashqai regained its place as the best-selling SUV in the big 5 European markets, after spending months behind the Renault Captur. In fact, the Captur was even outsold by the Opel/Vauxhall Mokka and the new VW Tiguan.

“Despite the slowdown in the market, the demand for SUVs is increasing, and is expected to keep growing, especially with new models being unveiled in the upcoming months,” concluded Munoz.

Europe's top five markets posted overall growth of 8.9% for the first half of 2016 and 5.3% in June.

FIAT AND RENAULT ARE THE BIGGEST WINNERS

• Europe's top five markets posted overall growth of 8.9% for the first half of 2016 and 5.3% in June
• This is the best H1 result since 2008, with 5.93 million units registered
• Italy and Spain boosted sales for Fiat, Renault, and some premium brands
• The Volkswagen Golf remains the best-selling model despite recording its lowest H1market share in eight years

First half registrations in 2016 for Europe's 'Big 5' markets showed that overall the market is performing strongly. The total volume of new registrations in the first six months of the year grew by 8.9% as a result of double-digit growth in Italy and Spain. 

Both countries posted their best half-year results since 2008 thanks to improved economic conditions and increased consumer confidence. Four of the five markets surpassed the one-million-unit mark for H1, while June saw a 5% rise to 1.11 million units sold across the five countries.

Volkswagen led the market with 660,000 units and an 11.1% market share, following a slight drop of 0.5% in volume over the same period of 2015. 

The German brand saw its lowest first half year market share since 2008 and was the car maker to record the biggest market share drop compared to H1 2015 (12.2%). Despite the 17% growth seen in Italy, Volkswagen lost ground in the UK, Germany and France, recording drops of 8.7%, 1.4% and 0.4% respectively.

Volkswagen's top-seller, the Golf, maintained its overall sales volume but also lost market share. The continued market shift towards SUVs is a key factor in the manufacturer's loss market share, SUVs accounted for only 9% of Volkswagen registrations, compared to an industry average of 25%.

Other mainstream brands benefitted from lower demand for Volkswagens. Renault became the second best-selling brand (with the second biggest market share), outperforming Ford, which took third place. 

The French brand's sales grew by almost 15% during the first half of 2016 thanks to outstanding results in Italy, where it has been the second best-selling brand for the last two months, and double-digit growth in the rest of the 'Big 5' countries. 

In recent months, Renault has successfully updated much of its product line, with a focus on the SUV segments - the Captur is the best-selling SUV in the 'Big 5', and the Kadjar, the second best-selling C-SUV.

Fiat made the the biggest gain in market share during the first six months of this year due to its strong momentum in the Italian market in particular. 

The Italian brand's market share jumped from 5.5% in H1 2015 to 6.0% in H1 2016 following a 17.6% growth that redominantly came from Italy, which accounted for 63% of its 'Big 5' registrations. Ford, Opel/Vauxhall and Peugeot were positioned ahead of Fiat in the ranking, while the three German premiums and Citroen completed the top 10. 

Audi was the best-selling premium brand with 5.9% market share and an increase in volume of almost 12%. Mercedes followed with a 5.6% market share and 13.7% growth, while BMW remained in third place among the premiums with a 5.3% market share and 14% increase. 

The three German premiums' volumes were mostly boosted by their SUV ranges which saw a 36% increase in registrations and accounted for almost 23% of the total. Other brands posting significant growth included Kia, Mazda, Land Rover, Honda and Jeep.

The SUV boom continued through the first half of the year thanks to a number of new launches. One in every four cars registered in the 'Big 5' markets during H1 2016 was an SUV - more than the total registrations of Subcompact cars (B-Segment) or Compacts (C-Segment).

More than 1.47 million SUVs were sold during the first half of the year and the smaller category (B-SUV) took the lead for the first time with 587,000 units and 24% growth. They were closely followed by the compact SUVs (C-SUV) at 582,000 units (+21%) and far behind the D-SUV with 207,000 units (+29%) and their larger counterparts (E-SUV) at 102,700 vehicles (+25%). Nissan and Renault continued to dominate this segment.

The rest of the segments, with the exception of sports cars, lost market share. Felipe Munoz, JATO's global industry analyst, commented: "Europe's largest markets continue to follow the trends we've seen in the US and Chinese car markets in terms of segment composition. SUVs will clearly dominate the roads, with their market share set to surpass 30% in the mid-term."

The model table was once again topped by the Volkswagen Golf, with its volume almost at the same level as last year's first half. There was a change in second place, from the Ford Fiesta in H1 2015 to the Renault Clio this year. The Ford and Opel/Vauxhall Corsa posted negative growth, while the Volkswagen Polo kept its fourth position thanks to a 7% increase.

However, the most significant changes occurred outside the top 5, as the Peugeot 208 posted a 13% increase, and the Fiat Panda and Renault Captur outsold the Ford Focus and Nissan Qashqai. In fact the Panda recorded the highest market share gain amongst the top ten models, while the Captur became the best-selling SUV.

In terms of market share, the clear winners were the Hyundai Tucson and Renault Kadjar, which were particularly popular in France and Italy and gained important positions in the C-SUV segment. In the case of the Renault, it even outsold the popular Volkswagen Tiguan. 

The Mercedes GLC recorded the highest market share gain amongst premium models, whereas Fiat's B-SUV 500X gained 0.41 percentage points of share. The old Hyundai ix35, Ford Fiesta, Volskagen Golf, Ford Focus and Renault Scenic were some of the models that suffered as a consequence.

"The rise of SUVs has allowed some mainstream brands not just to take the lead in that segment but to be better positioned against the historic dominance of Volkswagen in Europe. Renault and Fiat are good examples of brands that have adapted to benefit from increasing SUV demand," concluded Munoz.

European Sales grow in may, with all the usual suspects taking the top ten spots, VW's Golf wins again.

• Double-digit growth in Germany, Italy, France and Spain
• May's increase was the second highest seen so far in 2016 and the highest May volume since 2009
• SUVs drove growth with a 30% increase meaning the segment accounts for almost 25% of the overall market
• The Volkswagen Golf was ahead but volume dropped by 1%

Europe's 'Big 5' markets posted double digit growth in May thanks to strong increases in four of the five markets analysed, continuing the positive trend seen over the last 15 months. Registrations for the month totalled 969,100 units, 15% up on the volume recorded in May 2015, the second highest percentage growth rate of the year so far. 

The total YTD volume grew by 9.7% to 4.82 million cars, the highest percentage increase in 10 years. The SAAR came in at 11 million units in May, the second lowest for the year.

Germany posted its highest May sales since 2012, with total registrations growing by 12% to 287,000 units. The UK was the second largest market, but political andeconomic uncertainty cooled the demand, resulting in an increase of just 2%. Italy posted outstanding growth of 28% at 189,000 units, its highest May total since 2009. 

This strong showing meant Italy outperformed France to become the third largest market in Europe for the year to date, despite the 22% rise posted by France in May. 

The 175,800 units registered in France represent its highest May sales since 2014. Spain continued to grow, reporting a 19% increase in May, its second highest monthly increase this year.

The brand ranking showed very different results for the biggest players. Volkswagen, Europe's largest car brand, posted a 1% gain and Renault outsold Ford as the second best-selling brand thanks to a dramatic 38% increase to 77,000 units. 

This was only 30,000 units behind Volkswagen, a significant move when compared to the 40,800 units that separated Volkswagen and Ford in May 2015. 

As a result, Volkswagen's market share fell from 12.5% in May 2015 to 10.9% last month. Conversley, Renault's market share jumped from 6.6% to almost 8%. Volkswagen's May market share was the lowest the company has recorded for the month since 2008, whereas Renault's was its highest since May 2010.

Ford and Opel/Vauxhall both recorded market share falls as a result of the reduced demand in the UK. Fiat's volume grew by 27%, which took its market share to 6.4% as a result of significant increases in demand across Italy, France and Spain. 

Peugeot followed with a 19% increase, while the three German premium brands occupied the seventh (Audi), eighth (Mercedes) and ninth (BMW) positions, all of them with double-digit growth. 

The top 10 was completed by Citroen, which posted a 23% increase to 41,100 units. Outside of the top 10, other brands that performed well included Infiniti (+158%), Jaguar (+108%), Abarth (+64%), Bentley (+62%) and Ssangyong (+48%).

Volumes grew in all segments with the exception of luxury sedans (F-Segment), which posted a 3% decline. Once again the market was dominated by SUVs of all sizes. SUV sales in the 'Big 5' totalled 241,000 units in May and accounted for almost one in every four (24.9%) of new registrations. 

This represents a 30% uplift compared to May 2015, easily the highest increase amongst all segments. SUVs reported doubledigit growth in all five markets, with Spain in first place with a 40% increase, closely followed by Italy at 38%, and France at 34%.

"While SUVs continue to gain market share in the UK, France, Italy and Spain, in Germany they are still behind due to Volkswagen's limited range and the strength of demand for CSegment models," said Felipe Munoz, Global Automotive Analyst at JATO Dynamics.

The C-Segment, third in the ranking, was the month's big loser as its market share fell from 19.7% in May 2015 to 19.0% last month. Registrations fell in the UK by 6.2% and significantly, the segment only grew by 8.6% in Germany, its largest market. 

The B-Segment was led by Renault thanks to its Clio and Zoe models, which grew by 30% and 37% respectively to outsell Volkswagen and Ford, the leaders in May 2015. The MPV, Citycar (A-Segment)and midsize (D-Segment) segments all lost market share.

In terms of models, Volkswagen registered 31,600 units of its Golf, which was enough to maintain its pole position, but it still lost market share. 

In May 2015, the German compact car accounted for 3.79%of total registrations, and one year later its share has dropped to 3.27%, its lowest market share since May 2008. Renault's Clio was the second best-seller, outselling its rivals - Volkswagen's Polo and Ford's Fiesta. 

The Fiesta posted the highest percentage decrease within the top 10 due to a challenging month in Germany (-15%), France (-22%) and the UK (-12%). The rest of the top 10 models recorded double-digit increases, led by the Renault Captur with a 44% increase, continuing its run as the best-selling SUV in Europe's 'Big 5'.

Among the latest launches, it is important to mention the strong growth posted by the new Audi A4 (+49%), Kia Sportage (+45%), Renault Kadjar (+420%), and the new Hyundai Tucson, whose registrations totalled 8,700 units, becoming the fifth best-selling compact SUV. 

Other big increases came from the BMW X1, up by 137%, and the Fiat Tipo which occupied second position among the C-Segment models in Italy with 4,000 units sold. 

The Skoda Superb (+102%), Mercedes GLC (3,900 units), Ford SMax (+373%), Opel/Vauxhall Karl/Viva (2,800 units), Mazda CX-3 with 2,400 units, and the Mini Clubman (2,100 vehicles registered), all recorded significant positive results.

"Improved economic conditions as a result of higher consumer confidence and lower fuel prices continue to boost the largest European car markets. The higher demand is clearly focused on the best-selling SUVs as more car makers join this key segment," concluded Munoz.

Jato Dynamics announces sales for Europe for April, with some countries struggling, overall, a slight increase.

• Growth slowed in Italy, as Spain recovered
• Year-to-date volume grew by 8.4% to 3.85 million vehicles
• 24% of total registrations were SUV models, with the segment volume up by 22%
• The Renault Captur became the best-selling SUV

Led by strong growth in Spain and Italy, new car registrations in Europe’s Big 5 markets grew by 8.6% to 958,400 units in April 2016.  After the UK’s traditional volume peak in March, which saw registrations rise to 1.36 million, April produced further gains across the top five European markets with SUVs driving higher volume and counting for 24.4% and 24.9% of April’s and YTD’s totals respectively. 

The Seasonally Adjusted Annual Rate (SAAR) came in at 11.35 million, up from March registrations of 11.04 million and significantly higher than the 10.48 million in April 2015.

Germany continued to lead the market, with volume up by 8.4% at 315,900 units, accounting for a third of the Big 5’s total. 

After a relatively flat March, April saw registrations grow healthily, bringing the YTD total to 1.11 million units, up by 5.6% over January-April 2015. Impressively, April’s volume for Germany was the highest since 2009. The UK also saw positive growth – despite only seeing a 2.0% rise on April 2015, last month was the best April for UK car registrations for a decade. 

Grateful acknowledgement to JATO Dynamics for the info used within this report.

The UK total was 7,000 units higher than the total recorded in France, where the registrations advanced by 7.1% at 182,800 vehicles - the best April result in France since 2010. 

However, the largest growth figures were recorded in Italy and Spain, where April’s volumes grew by 12.3% and 20.7% respectively. While Italy moderated its growth, after an 18% rise in January, followed by 28% in February and 18% in March, Spain returned to positive growth after a 1% decrease posted in March.

Volkswagen led the brand leader board, recording 12.2% market share at 116,400 units. However, its volume grew by only 3.1% over April 2015, leading to a market share loss of 0.66 percentage points compared to April 2015 - the largest market share fall of all the brands. 

The brand posted a strong increase in Spain (+31%), but lost market share in Italy (+10%), Germany (+3%) and France (+1%), and recorded a significant sales drop in the UK (-10%). Volkswagen’s SUV registrations counted for 8% of its total, with volume falling by 18%. However, the German brand was not the only one to lose market share. 

Volume at Renault, Ford, Opel/Vauxhall and Peugeot grew less than the market’s average change, as their SUV registrations growth (+32%) was offset by the decline on their subcompact volume (-6%).

In contrast to the top 5 brands, Audi, BMW, Mercedes, Fiat and Citroen reported solid growth figures, with Mercedes posting the highest growth in the top ten, achieving +20.2% over April 2015. 

In the case of the three German premium brands, their registrations were boosted by a 25% gain from the SUV range and strong increases in Spain, Italy and France. The healthy performance of the Italian market continued to be a source of strength for Fiat, which registered 63% of its cars in its home market. 

However, in terms of percentage growth, its volume grew faster in Spain (+31%), Germany (+19%) and France (+15%). Citroen completed the top 10 with 40,300 units sold, increasing its market share from 4.15% in April 2015 to 4.21% last month. 

Other big increases outside the top 10 included Land Rover (+20%), Hyundai (+19%), Kia (+16%), Mazda (+26%), Honda (+63%), Jaguar (+147%) and Infiniti (+159%).

With only two exceptions, all segments recorded market share losses, with the subcompacts losing most ground, recording 21.7% market share (vs. 22.9% in April 2015). 

This segment, the second largest in the Big 5, was negatively affected by the growth in popularity of SUVs, as volume dropped off 9% at Renault and 17% at Ford. The market share decline posted by the subcompacts, MPVs, compacts, city-cars and Vans was exactly the same as the percentage points gained by SUVs, up by 2.62 points from 21.7% market share in April 2015 to 24.4% one year later. 

The fastest growing segment in Europe was led by Nissan, although they only grew by 3%. In contrast, Renault’s registrations grew by an impressive 83%, thanks to the success of the Captur and Kadjar. 

As a result of the success of the new Q7, Audi was able to outsell Peugeot, and become the third best-selling brand in the SUV ranking. Ford, Mercedes, Hyundai, Kia and Fiat were the other big winners.

In the model ranking Volkswagen occupied the first two places, with the Golf first with 34,300 units sold - up by only 1.0% on April 2015. The Polo ranked second, up by a strong 16% with 21,600 units sold. 

The top-seller lost 0.27 percentages points (pp) of share, with other loses experienced by the Opel/Vauxhall Corsa (-0.28 pp), Renault Scenic (-0.40), Clio (-0.42), Ford Fiesta (-0.58) and Hyundai ix35 (-0.68). The Polo outsold the Renault Clio (-9.2%) and Ford Fiesta (-17%), both of the latter models negatively affected by lower sales in their home markets. 

In April, the Peugeot 208 not only outsold the Opel/Vauxhall Corsa but also moved very close to the Fiesta. However, the stand-out performance of the month was the Renault Captur, overtaking the Nissan Qashqai to become the best-selling SUV in the Big EU 5, achieving sales of 14,500 units. 

This represented an increase of 19%, versus the Qashqai’s 13,200 units, respresenting a decrease of 4.1%. The small SUV from Renault benefited from rising demand in France (+29%), Germany (+26%) and UK (+19%), while the compact SUV from Nissan posted sales falls in France (-14%), UK (-5%) and Italy (-1.7%). 

April’s big market share winners include three SUVs (Hyundai Tucson, Renault Kadjar and Mercedes GLC), one compact (Fiat Tipo) and the new Audi A4.

“Last month was the second best April of the last ten years,” commented Felipe Munoz, Global Automotive Analyst at JATO Dynamics. “While Germany, France and the UK are reaching their sales peak, further growth is expected in Italy and Spain. 

Unlike the circumstances of a decade ago, the growth is largely driven by the outstanding expansion of the SUV segment. The appeal of SUVs continues to gain further momentum at the expense of more traditional models,” concluded Munoz.