New car registrations in the 29 European markets analysed by JATO Dynamics increased by 7.1% in September compared to the same month last year, with 1,495,815 units registered.
This is the strongest September monthly sales result for ten years. For the year to date, registrations were 11.6 million units, an increase of 7.7% when compared to 2015, the best result since 2008.
The strong result in September was driven by good performances in the majority of markets, but particularly Italy, Poland, Belgium, Austria and Spain which recorded increases of 17.4%, 19.8%, 13.7%, 14.9% and 13.4% respectively.
There was double-digit growth in sixteen of the 29 markets analysed and negative change in only three – Ireland, the Netherlands and Greece which recorded decreases of 1.5%, 4.8% and 9.9% respectively.
In the segment ranking, SUV registrations exceeded 400,000 units for the first time in the history of European car sales. As a result, the market share for the SUV segment jumped from 23.3% to 26.9%.
The SUV segment’s growth in market share had a knock on effect on the Subcompact (B-Segment), City-car (A-Segment) and MPV segments which all showed negative market share growth. The Renault-Nissan Alliance maintained its lead in the SUV segment with a significant 21.7% share and continued to perform well, with volume up by 14%. Jaguar Land Rover continued to grow by outselling the mainstream players like PSA, Ford, FCA and General Motors.
Best selling European car remains the VW Golf, by a long way, but its share has dropped but the Polo has significantly picked up.
Felipe Munoz, Global Automotive Analyst at JATO Dynamics commented: “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.”
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