Best Selling Cars – Matt's blog

Volvo V70

Volvo V40

* See the Top 30 best-selling models by clicking on ‘Read more’ at end of post *

The Swedish car market is on fire at +12% and 253,430 registrations in ’98, +16% and 295,249 units in ’99. For the first time in at least 20 years, the Top 5 best sellers are all Swedish. The Volvo S/V/C70 keeps the lead, reaching 12.6% share in ’98 (31,933 sales) and 10% in ’99 (29,578). As the 2nd generation V70 launched, 6,905 units of the model were sold in December 1999 alone (for a 20% share), most probably the biggest monthly volume ever in Sweden…

The Volvo S40/V40 is #2 both years at 6.5% in ’98 and 6.8% in ’99 at over 20,000 sales, while the Saab 9-5 climbs onto the podium in ’99 at 14,590 units and 4.9%. The Volvo S80, launched in late ’98, climbs to 4th in ’99 at 14,303 units (4.8%), ahead of the Saab 900/9-3 at 11,701 (4%). The VW Golf, Passat and Ford Focus are the best-selling foreign models.

Previous post: see the Swedish 1996-1997 Top 30 best-selling models here.

Full 1998 & 1999 Top 30 Ranking Tables: click on ‘Read more’ below the Volvo S80 pic.

Saab 9-5

Volvo S80

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Opel Astra

* See the Top 234 best-selling models by clicking on the title! Thanks to Bill and Kostas *

Car sales in Greece are up massive 45% this year to 261,711 registrations, the first time over 200,000 units and a new record for the country. Launched last year, the Opel Astra 2nd generation has immediately seduced the Greek consumers and the car is the best-selling model in the country as early as for its first full year of sales with 5.1% of the market thanks to 13,258 units sold, here again a new volume record for a single model in Greece.

Toyota Yaris

The Hyundai Accent drops to 2nd place but stays very solid at 12,058 sales and 4.7%, followed by the Citroen Saxo stable at 4.5% and the Toyota Corolla, down 2 spots to #4 with 3.8%. The best new entrant in the year-end Top 10 is the Toyota Yaris, up to 6th place whereas it was launched during the year.

Kia Shuma

The Peugeot 206 also breaks into the Top 10 for the first time at #8. In January 1999 the Nissan Almera sold 1,936 units, still to this day the highest monthly volume any model has ever achieved in Greece. Other great performers this year in Greece include the VW Golf up 185% to #14, the Renault Clio up 278% to #17, the Ford Focus landing directly at #18 for its first full year of sales, the Kia Shuma up 169% to #23 and the Suzuki Jimny up 528% to #29.

Previous year: Greece 1998: Hyundai Accent dominates

Next year: Greece 2000: Hyundai Accent reclaims top spot in record market

Full Year 1999 and each Monthly Top 50/234 Ranking Tables below.

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Toyota Vitz

* See the Top 30 best-selling models by clicking on the title! *

No surprise in pole position: the Toyota Corolla is still the favourite passenger car in Japan, but with 160,677 sales it is down 18% on 1998 and just 4,000 units above the all-new Toyota Vitz, launched in January and finishing its first year in market with an outstanding 156,646 sales. The Vitz was even #1 in April with 12,389 units vs. 11,640 for the Corolla and in July with 18,046 vs. 16,102…

Subaru Legacy

In spite of a 3% decline over 1998, the Honda StepWGN is up 3 spots to #3 with 90,495 sales, ahead of the Toyota Crown, up 4 ranks and 18% to 87,253 units and the Mazda Demio down 2 spots and 17% to 84,840 sales. The Nissan Cube is down 4 ranks to #6, the Toyota Mark II is stable at #7 while the Subaru Legacy is up 5 spots to #8 with 70,181 units, the last time a Subaru finishes the year within the Japanese Top 10.

You can check out each and every monthly Top 30 for 1999 here.

Previous year: Japan 1998: Toyota Corolla, Nissan Cube and Suzuki Wagon R favourites

Next year: Japan 2000: Toyota Vitz threatens Toyota Corolla for pole position

Full Year 1999 Top 30 Ranking Table below.

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VW Golf

Opel Astra

* See the Top 100 best-selling models by clicking on the title! Thanks Florian for the data *

Over the first 6 months of 1999, Germans bought 2,037,526 new cars, only the third time in history (after 1991 and 1992) that the 2 million mark is passed at that stage. I don’t have the final figure for the full year so if you do please get in touch! However I do have models ranking for the full year:

The VW Golf is still comfortably installed its leadership position with 313,414 sales but is already down 7% for the current generation’s second year, while the Opel Astra is up 4% to 229,756 units. The BMW 3 Series lands on the podium for the third time after 1993 and 1995 with with 143,103 sales, up 15%.

Mercedes A Class

The VW Passat is down one place and 15% to #4, followed by the best newcomer in this year’s Top 10: the Ford Focus, replacing the Ford Escort and landing directly at an outstanding 5th place with 112,873 sales. Another remarkable entry in the Top 10 is the Mercedes A Class, now Mercedes’ best-seller at #7 with just above 100,000 sales for its second full year…

VW Lupo

The VW Lupo confirms its shining start from late last year, up 30 ranks to #16 with 60,965 sales. This would end up being the nameplate’s best position.

The Renault Twingo manages to keep the imports pole position for the third consecutive year in spite of a 6% drop at #17 with 54,832 sales. In fact, Renault delivers the four best-selling imports in Germany this year, something no manufacturer had ever achieved before in the country! The Clio is #20 at 46,234 units, the Scenic is #21 with 45,378 sales and the Megane is #22 44,467 units. Notice also the Peugeot 206 up to #23 and 43,836 sales, the MCC Smart up to #29 and Skoda Octavia up to #30.

The VW New Beetle was #26 at half-year with 17,042 sales but the second half of the year was very disappointing at only 8,220 units sold, finishing the year at #38 with 25,262 sales…

Full Top 100 Ranking Table below.

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Renault Clio

* See the Top 100 best-selling models by clicking on ‘Read more’ at end of post! Many thanks to STAC for making this post possible *

French consumers decided they’d buy a new car this year: at 2,148,423 registrations the market is up 10%. The Renault Clio keeps the lead for the 7th year since its 1990 launch with 180,302 sales and 8.4% share. But the match with the Peugeot 206 is now in full gear with the Peugeot up to 155,694 sales and 7.2% share for its first full year.

Peugeot 206

From this year on, sales of the Renault Megane and Scenic are dissociated now that the two models have their own distinctions. The Scenic is therefore #3 at 97,540 units and 4.5% (+12%) while the Megane is 5th with 88,788 sales and 4.1% (+20%). Exceptional year for the Peugeot 406 helped by its facelift and the HDI engine: it ranks 4th overall at 89,582 units and 4.2% share.

Peugeot 406

There is no imported car in the Top 10 and the VW Golf is the best-selling foreign model for the first time since 1993 at #11, ahead of the Opel Corsa, Fiat Punto and Ford Focus. The best newcomer is the Opel Zafira at #28, followed by the locally produced Toyota Yaris at #34, already best-selling Japanese car in the country.

Previous year: see the France 1998 Top 100 best-selling models here.

Full Year 1999 Top 100 Ranking Table below.

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Holden Commodore

* See the Top 50 best-selling models by clicking on the title! Many thanks to David *

The new car market in Australia is down year-on-year for the first time since 1991 at -3% to 786,845 units. The two leaders evolve differently this year: while the Holden Commodore is down 10% to 85,648 sales and 10.9% share, the Ford Falcon is up 2% to 70,084 units, reducing the gap with the Commodore from 3.2 percentage points in 1998 to 2.0 this year. The Toyota Camry/Vienta is back on the podium thanks to sales up 1% to 42,522 units at 5.4% share.

Ford Falcon

The Hyundai Excel has stopped its ascension and is down a rough 26% this year to #4 and 32,497 sales, followed by the Toyota Corolla (+13%), Mistubishi Magna/Verada (-21%) and Nissan Pulsar in great shape at +14% in 7th position. The Holden Rodeo breaks into the year-end Top 10 for the first time, up 25% to #9. Other great performers in 1999 include the Ford Ute up 55% to #14, the Subaru Liberty/Outback up 36% to #17 and the Honda CR-V up 19% to #18.

Previous year: Australia 1998: Commodore hits highest ever volume, Hyundai Excel #1 in June!

Next year: Australia 2000: Commodore enjoys 5th year in a row at #1

Full Year Top 50 and 8 months 1999 Top 10 Ranking Tables below.

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Hyundai Sonata

* See the Top 50 best-selling local models by clicking on the title! Thanks to Pedro *

After one year of reign, the Daewoo Matiz is down one spot and 7% to #2 with 82,688 sales in 1999, passed by the Hyundai EF Sonata, up 4 ranks and a massive 211% year-on-year to pole position at 112,495 units. To this can be added 10,106 previous generation Sonatas (#24). The Daewoo Nubira also shines, up 6 spots to land on the third step of the podium thanks to 67,565 sales, up 195% on 1998. Notice also the Kia Carnival up 90% and 2 ranks to #4 and the Hyundai Avante down one to #5.

Daewoo Nubira

The best performing all-new model in 1999 is the Kia Carens, landing directly at #6 with 59,344 units, followed by the Hyundai Verna at #8 and 39,216 sales and the Kia Visto at #14 with 25,402 units. The Kia Carstar lands at #19 and the Hyundai Trajet at #20. The Hyundai Grandeur XG is up 431% and 11 spots to #9 while the SsangYong Musso is up 294% and 9 spots to #11.

Previous post: South Korea 1998: Daewoo Matiz takes pole position

Full Year 1999 Top 50 Ranking Table below.

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Citroen Xsara

* See the Top 10 best-selling models by clicking on the title! Many thanks to Alberto *

Thanks to Alberto from La Tribuna de Automoción, I can now share with you the only year that was missing since 1973 in Spain! Now that the Renault Megane and Megane Scenic are counted separately, the Citroen Xsara takes the lead of the Spanish models ranking, up 30% on 1998 to 83,169 sales. It is followed by the Seat Ibiza at 79,283 units and the Opel Astra up 75% and 6 spots to #3 with 68,529 sales. The Renault Clio and Peugeot 206 round up the Top 5 while the Renault Megane (solo) is down to #6.

Previous post: Spain 1998: Renault Megane clear leader, Seat Ibiza #2

Next post: Spain 2000: Citroen Xsara and Renault Megane dominate

Full Year 1999 Top 10 Ranking Table below.

Read more…