European market down again

Jato Dynamics, the world's leading provider of automotive data and intelligence, has reported that the European new car market fell by 25.3 per cent (313,361 units) in November, when compared to the same month last year. Total sales for the month now stand at 924,936 units, down from 1.23 million in 2007.

This further decline in the market, which has dropped consistently over the past seven months, sees an increased year-to-date deficit figure, in comparison to 2007. The total sales figure for the first 11 months of 2008 being 13.55 million units - 7.1 per cent lower than the same period last year.

"The market is usually less buoyant at this time of year," says David Di Girolamo, business manager for Jato Consult. "Though this is an unprecedented drop in sales, it's not wholly unexpected, given the current economic climate. There has been some movement between brands in the top 10 table, but Volkswagen maintains its increasingly secure grip on the top spot."

Volkswagen once more triumphed as Europe's top-selling car brand during November, ahead of Ford, Renault, Opel/Vauxhall and Fiat. Top market performers are Volkswagen, Ford, Opel/Vauxhall, Renault and Peugeot.

In such a depressed market, Audi stands out for posting sales of just 1.1 per cent less than November 2007, while enjoying a 0.2 per cent sales increase, largely buoyed by the strong performance of its new A4 model.

Other manufacturers worthy of note for their numbers are Nissan (up 9.9 per cent), Mazda (up 2.4 per cent), Smart (up 12.1 per cent), Subaru (up 10.5 per cent), and Jaguar (up 13.3 per cent).

Once again, the Volkswagen Golf has maintained its lead as Europe's top-selling car during November (up 5.5 per cent when compared to the same period last year).

Sitting at the top of the table, the Golf leads the new Ford Fiesta, Peugeot 207, Ford Focus, Renault Clio, Volkswagen Passat, Opel / Vauxhall Corsa, Volkswagen Polo, Audi A4 and Fiat Punto.

As the market continues to fall, Audi's new A4 was the only vehicle in the top 10 that managed a sales increase in November, with an increase of 21.2 per cent taking ninth place in the European car market.

Other new models performing well in the European new car market include the Hyundai i10, Dacia Sandero, Ford Kuga, Alfa Romeo Mito, Lancia Delta, Suzuki Splash, Renault Koleos, Audi Q5 and BMW X6.

Increased sales during November have also been enjoyed by the Peugeot 308, Opel/Vauxhall Agila, Nissan Qashqai, Fiat 500, Renault Twingo, Volkswagen Tiguan, Citroën C5 and Renault Modus, largely due to the addition of new versions or increased availability.