Romania Passenger Car Sales : 2018

The data comes from a reputable source but differs by some margin from another equally trusted source. There must be a difference in what they count as passenger cars. As the DRPCIV are much faster at putting the data out, they got the nod. The other source is as slow as a wet weekend.

Sales were up 12% in December and 23% in 2018 as a whole. However, during the year the new fuel

Italy Premium Sales Comparison : 2016-18

When you look at premium sales here, it's the German big three that are the main suppliers of cars. Even local brand Alfa Romeo isn't that prominent although it obviously gets some support for being so.

There has been a tapering off of premium sales, with 2018 -4.9%. All were down except Jaguar and Volvo. The only ranking movement over the past three years was Audi passing Mercedes Benz in

NZ Electric (Model) Sales : 2016-18

New Zealand is mainly a green country, but that is because of rainfall. Most of its power is hydroelectric so that is 'green'. How about fossil fuel? Searching for oil deposits is no longer allowed but as the country is heavily dependent on such fossil fuel, it is imported from countries that do allow oil exploration and any risks associated with their exploration is someone else's problem.

China Passenger Car Sales : 2018 (Locally made)

Geely Emgrand Boyue was the 12th best selling model


I'm not enamoured to the Chinese car market. The data doesn't include imported cars (denial doesn't make them go away) and their inclusion would swell some brands figures while adding marques not manufacturing in China to the list below.

Sales for these locally made cars were down 4.3% in 2018, perhaps the start of tougher times ahead,

Canada Premium Sales Comparison : 2016-18

This segment have been growing nicely for the past few years. 7.4%, 9.7% and 5.4% increases are very strong. That's much better than the market as a whole. Mercedes Benz is the best selling although BMW/MINI isn't far behind. Acura has maintained sales numbers but that has seen its share drop from 9% to 7.8% in two years.

It gets more interesting further down. Tesla suddenly kicked into life

Hyundai & Kia Plant Sales : 2018 (By country)

So where do Hyundai and Kia make their cars? Mostly in their plants but occasionally they make cars for each other too. Both rely heavily on domestic output but have been moving away from that.

Hyundai: A third of cars are still made at home, although it dropped below half in 2009. There is plenty of capacity at home so that will constrain new plants overseas. China is second but slowing as

Portugal Top 50 Models : 2018

Europe is heavily favoured here, with French models in particular being large sellers. They took seven of the first nine places. The Clio is so far ahead of the rest, it's baffling as to why. Only one Japanese model got into the top ten, the Qashqai moving into second place. VW had a poor year, the Golf down 49%. The only two Korean representatives were well down on 46th and 50th.





Rk

Dacia Brand Global Model Sales : 2018

Just over 300,000 Dacia vehicles were sold in 2009, now it has reached 700,000! Not bad for a brand that started out in 1968 making the Renault 8 under licence. Bear in mind too that Dacia cars are sometimes sold with a Renault logo attached (so not counted here), adding to proof of their appeal. Who would have thought that a low cost brand would sell so well in Europe. Dacia is also

Hyundai Brand Global Model Sales : 2018

Hyundai had a 2.2% increase in plant sales in 2018, after a disappointing 2017. The Tucson (ix35) lead the way for a second consecutive year, pulling further ahead from the Avante (Elantra). The newish Kona is now in full stride and selling well. The move toward SUV/Crossovers is obvious.

Some unusual names appear on the list. The Mistra is a mid-sized sedan for the Chinese market. The Reina

South Africa Passenger Car Sales : 2018

Total sales were about the same in 2018 than 2017 so on the surface it seemed uneventful. Looking on the list and it was anything but. It was the first full year without GM and Ford sales were well down. Mercedes Benz and Audi were in the same boat as Ford. Renault, Nissan and Suzuki were going the other way, up with much gusto.

If light trucks are added, then Toyota wins hands down but as

Thai Vehicle Sales : 2018

Total vehicle sales (including commercial) were up 19.7% in 2018 so things are going OK. OK if you make vehicles there, otherwise it is very difficult with import tariffs designed to protect its manufacturing industry. The problem is it doesn't need protecting anymore but in a style that is not uncommon in Asia, it's kept up anyway. That's because bilateral trade isn't the objective.

Korea Premium Sales Comparison : 2016-18

Unlike Japan, things in Korea bounce around a lot more. Mercedes has pushed to the top, with home town hero Genesis currently second. BMW had a problem with engines catching fire and they may have hurt them as that sort of thing doesn't go down well. Audi had the dieselgate issue and has been affected adversely by that, hence the collapse in 2017.

Both JLR and Lexus have a strong presence in

Kia Brand Global Model Sales : 2018

After three years of reduced plant sales, finally an increase, albeit a slight one. The Sportage model is by far the most popular and was the main difference compared to 2017 with an addition 41,000 made in 2018. Kia's total numbers were up just 17,500, enough for a 0.7% gain.

Does anyone know what the Pegas is? It also goes by the name Soluto and is a small city car made by the Chinese joint

Renault Group Global Model Sales : 2018

This list is of models that bear the names Renault, Dacia and Samsung. Often model cross over so the the logos are ignored and it's just the models that are ranked. So a model such as the Sandero that is sold as either a Renault or Dacia is combined. The total shows a 3% drop in volume. Dacia was up, but the other two down.






17
18
Model
2018
Share
+/-



1

Japan Premium Sales Comparison : 2016-18

The list below has an orderliness about it. Nothing changed places! Well, if BMW wasn't partnered with MINI there would have been. The MINI is so popular that it nearly outsold Audi. Unlike the rest of the market, imported brands do well with little local opposition (Lexus) and that coming in third.

The figures next to total figures show increase, but the ones associated with models are

Lada Global Model Sales : 2018

Lada was a company in need of restructuring. recent owners Renault embarked on an unpopular - but necessary - cost cutting exercise that has left the company leaner. Sales too have been falling but they are now on a comeback as new and improved models hit the showrooms.

Below we can see volume was up a healthy 19% in 2018, helped also by a rebounding domestic market. That will slow this year

Singapore Passenger Car Sales : 2018

Sales for 2018 were -13% and -34% in December. However, comparing years and months is somewhat academic. The reason is due to the COE system or certificate of entitlement arrangment. The government only issues so many and they are bid for by those desirous of buying a new car. The amount of certificates available depends mainly on how many cars were scrapped or taken off the road. It's all

Germany Premium Sales Comparison : 2016-18

One million premium cars were registered in Germany in 2018, not far removed from the previous two years. The big three local brands are far ahead of the others numerically. Of the others, Land Rover took a hit and is now below the 2% mark. Lexus cannot better 0.3% share.

The figures next to total figures show increase or decrease, but the ones associated with models are market share. So

Liechtenstein Passenger Car Sales : 2018

With registrations down nearly 9%, here is another European market not that flash. However, the vehicles sold here are generally quite expensive so the principality is doing OK despite the drop in sales (175 units in total).

The top four German marques remained at the top, with BMW just getting the better of Audi. Ford Land Rover and Volvo were all well up but Opel not so healthy. Still, in a

Renault Group Top 50 Nations Sales : 2018

It's nice to be able to get official figures from the manufacturer by country. No other company does this to my knowledge, which is meritorious to say the least. Having said that, the lack of transparency by everyone else in the industry I find baffling.

Group sales were up 3% for the year. That includes, Renault, Dacia, Lada, Samsung and for 2018 (I'm assuming) the joint venture with

USA Premium Sales Comparison : 2016-18

I'm sittin' on the dock of the bay...


Premium sales have been consistent in the US for the past few years, with tiny incremental gains. Total sales were 2,239,941 in 2018, +2.4%. BMW took the top spot from Mercedes which I'm sure pleased them. Lexus has been slowly losing out for some years now and while still a very successful marque, not as much as it was. It hasn't chased every conceivable

Greece Top 50 Models : 2018

Small cars are king in Greece, with the Qashqai being the first of the 'larger' models. Sales were up overall so most models were also as you would expect. Japanese brands do better here, with Toyota having the best selling model and by some margin.





Rk
Brand
Model
2018
2017
+/-

Europe


1
Toyota
Yaris
6,543
5,508
19%

18 models

Slovakia Passenger Car Sales : 2018

Registrations here were +2.1% for the year but -25.7% for December. The drop in December has been common across Europe. When it will come back will be interesting. Below the % column is market share and the +/- is sales compared with 2017 year. Below green shows increase.

Škoda leads here and held its market share, while VW fared worse. Suzuki fell three places down the rankings and Toyota

Renault Brand Global Model Sales : 2018

The total was down 5%, but with no new models having come through, not surprising. This data is for models sold under the Renault logo, regardless of the model. Green shows increase and yellow decrease.

The Clio is the strongest selling, which is hardly surprising. The Mégane seems to include the Scénic model. The ups and down are spread across the range, with new up and coming models and

Slovenia Top 50 Models : 2018

We've all done it. Sleepless nights agonising over what car models sell best in Slovenia. Where do you go to find out? Well, peaceful sleep is coming your way. Here is the data you have craved. All nicely provided by the Slovenian Chamber of Commerce. Others could learn from them.

The Clio is made here so is a popular model. Some of the sales movements are drastic, not uncommon with smaller

Turkey Top 50 Models : 2018

The locally made Fiat Tipo (Egea name used for Turkey) is the best selling model. Down 23%, it looks bleak until one notices the rest of the models which are usually worse off. Times are tough right now for new car dealerships I'd imagine. There are surprisingly (to me at least) quite a few premium German models in the Top 50.





Rk
Brand
Model
2018
2017
+/-

Europe

Czech Rep Top 50 Models : 2018

Škoda took six of the top seven places here, so loyalty to the domestic brand is undeniable. Hyundai and Kia both have plants in the region and are likewise well supported. The Euro designed and built Qashqai does a commendable job fro Nissan but Japanese makes aren't that successful here.





Rk
Brand
Model
2018
2017
+/-

Europe


1
Škoda
Octavia

Austria Top 50 Models : 2018

The Opel Crossland over doubled its sales


Austria is strongly favouring European models, VW in particular. Škoda and SEAT also score highly. Japanese models are conspicuous by their absence. The Golf was well ahead in 2017 but has had some of that lead trimmed back.





Rk
Brand
Model
2018
2017
+/-

Europe


1
VW
Golf
12,352
16,932
-27%

20

Malaysia Passenger Car Sales : 2018

The government stopped charging VAT (GST) sales tax for three months June to August. As most cars sold here are locally assembled, it was to stimulate production. However, the upsurge in demand caught manufacturers off guard and it didn't fully achieve its goal. That said, I question the value of such moves anyway.

So the effect was that while car sales are up 3.6% for the year, they were 0%

France Passenger Car Sales : 2018

Registrations were +3.0% for the full year but -14.5% for December. Clearly, the new fuel consumption and emissions (WLTP) regulations had an effect but how long that will last is uncertain. Below the % column is market share and the +/- compared to 2017. Green shows which brands went up and blue if they went down.

Renault seems to be getting slowly reeled in by Peugeot, with little now

Canada PC/LT Sales : 2018

Canada has a very stable car market, with few surprises. December was down about 8%, with total sales  +2.0%. Few of the top ten did well but generally the big brands don't move around the rankings much. The exception here was Dodge, with a 31% fall. Tesla did well but as with the US, sources vary considerably. The bottom four marque's are also estimated.

Below the % column is market share

Mexico Passenger Car Sales : 2018

The Mexican market experienced a small 10.7% drop in September and was down 7.2% YTD. Nissan is the big brand but is slowly losing share, presumably in the interest of better profit margins. GM and VW may be of the same mind, which has given those below a chance to make ground on them.

Below the % column is market share and the +/- is registrations up and down against 2017. Below green shows

Colombia Passenger Car Sales : 2018

I decided to count sales differently for Colombia. Rather than have total vehicles - the easiest way - I made it just for cars and SUVs. Pick ups and taxis were excluded, although I had mixed feelings about that. Sales were up 7% for the year.

Renault and GM have 40% of the total sales but sustaining that could be a challenge. Ford and Hyundai have struggled this year but VW, Toyota and

Uruguay Passenger Car Sales : 2018

A leafy street scene in Montevideo?

Sales are down here 20% after a similar sort of increase just 12 months ago. It seems to be due to a downturn in the economy, which is not uncommon for this area of the world. VW retained top spot but is under pressure from Renault. Chevrolet dropped from 2nd to 5th after spending much of the 21st century as the biggest selling brand. There have been three

Greece Passenger Car Sales : 2018

Sales up 20.4% YTD, despite a fall of 17.4% for the year but down 1.1% in December. Overall a good result but December was poor and perhaps a sign of what to expect in 2019. Total sales passed 100,000 for the first time since 2010 which was promising but still well short of the best years.

Some brands have managed to lose sales despite the increases. Mazda has pulled out for the second time

Cyprus Passenger Car Sales : 2018

The data is all passenger cars, including taxis and the like. Sales here were the same for this year compared to the previous 12 months. Toyota took the lead in 2017 and held it again. Kia has ideas of the top spot and did close the gap. However, below the top two, it hasn't been a good year, with most suffering falls. Land Rover is doing well, entering into the top 10. That said, premium

Norway Top 40 Models : 2018

This list is electric. No, really. It's all about electric or hybrids and any that aren't offering either will be increasingly pushed down the rankings. The new leaf has turned over a new leaf with a leap up in sales. Another model leaping ahead was the Jaguar i-Pace, which was only on sale for the latter part of the year. It will be interesting to see what a whole year on the market and new

Russia Car/LCV Sales : 2018

Sales were up 5.6% in December and 12.8% for the year. In January of 2019, a tax increase is expected so sales may be affected. The recent sales boom may be cut back also by political issues too. Below the % column is market share and the +/- is a shift in ales up or down. Green shows market share gain, yellow also means sales up but a drop in share. Blue is down in sales.

Lada is top and

Japan Top 50 Models : 2018

It is rather similar in colour, isn't it? Unsurprisingly, it is a market dominated by one source, local models. Further down, a few interlopers have managed to elbow their way in but overall not with much success. The MINI is all models which is probably not how it should be but that's how it is given.

Nissan did well to take top spot off dominant Toyota. Some of the names sound unusual. This

Argentina Top 50 Models : 2018

I got a list together of car sales in Argentina by model, which shows the best selling cars are from Europe. Asia isn't prominent and nothing here from Korea at all in the top 50. No single model has a lead on the rest, with a Toyota ahead of a group of European contenders. As you can see above, the Prisma is an Onyx with a boot rather than a hatch.





Rk
Brand
Model
2018

Denmark Top 50 Models : 2018

With the tax on cars here so very high, smaller ones predominate. German brands are popular, especially VW. However, the Up! went down with a thud. Nissan can only get one car on the top 50 but somehow manages to get it to number two. That doesn't happen normally. There are few Korean models here, all having a poor year too.





Rk
Brand
Model
2018
2017
+/-

Germany

Canada Top 50 Models : 2018

Japanese models are stronger here than the US, as are German ones. The US models are the ones that yielded places. It's not a huge difference but something of note. The F-Series is top here too, beating the RAM into second places in both markets.





Rk
Brand / Model
2018
2017
+/-

Japan


1
Ford F-Series
145,694
155,290
-6%

21 models


2

Brazil Top 50 Models : 2018

When it comes to the best selling model, there is one that is streets ahead (pun intended) of the others. That is the Chevrolet Onyx. The list is somewhat different from other countries where models are broken down into body shapes (I wouldn't have thought that was pc today). Hatchbacks and sedans are separate.

As to the origins of models, they are well spread without a nation or region

Land Rover Global Model Sales : 2018

Sales were -7% for 2018, with challenges aplenty. Virtually all Land Rovers sold in Europe are powered by diesel engines so slumping sales in that area affected LR more than any other car maker. China has seen a downturn and rather than offer incentives to maintain volume, registrations slumped.

Models: The popular Evoque will soon be replaced. The first was revolutionary in style, yet

Korea Top 40 Models : 2018

Korea has a protected market despite a successful car industry. That gives local manufacturers a foundation to build its industry on. Hyundai and Kia lead the way and have the top ten models in the domestic market. The first import comes in at #18, the Mercedes E-Class. The top European models are the MINI Hatch and Land Rover Discovery Sport, neither of which made the list at just over 4,000