Germany 2006: Golf at lowest ever, cannibalised by Golf Plus

VW Golf Plus

Up 4% at 3,467,931 registrations, the German car market has its best year since 1999. It’s official: the VW Golf has its worst full year since the launch of the nameplate in 1973, falling 12% to 148,879 sales and a paltry 4.3% market share. All this while the VW Passat is up 27% to reach #2 overall at 124,611 units and 3.6% share, peaking at 4.8% in January. The culprit is still the VW Golf Plus, up a further 21% on an already outstanding first year to break into the annual Top 10 at #9 and 76,533 sales.

VW Passat

The monthly ranking add up sales of the Golf, Golf Plus and Jetta so on paper the Golf is still #1 every month. However given in the full year the Golf accounts for only 63% of the Golf family sales, we have the VW Passat leading the German market in January with 10,624 sales and 4.8% vs. an estimated 8,468 and 3.8% for the Golf. This is (unofficially) the first time since March 1992 or 177 consecutive months that the VW Golf is not #1 in the German monthly ranking…

Audi A3

At #3 the BMW 3 Series has a very solid year with 115,753 sales, up 20% and ahead of the Opel Astra and Audi A4. The VW Polo hits its best year-end position in Germany since 1997 at #7, even ranking #3 in November at 11,727 sales. The Audi A3 continues its irresistible ascension, breaking into the year-end Top 10 for the first time ever at #8 with 77,044 sales and ranking within the Top 10 for 11 months out of 12.

Two models break into the German monthly Top 10 for the first time this year: the BMW 1 Series in January (#9) then again in December at #8 and 2.4%, and the Mercedes B Class in August (#10). Other good performers include the Skoda Fabia, reaching a best-ever 11th place in March and the VW Transporter up to #12 in January.

Like last year the Skoda Octavia leads foreign models at #18 with 56,745 sales, its highest volume ever, ahead of the Skoda Fabia at #21 and the Renault Clio at #25. That’s only 3 foreign models in the Top 25, the strongest German showing ever.

Full Year Top 100 and every Monthly Top 30 below.