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.
You can check out each and every Monthly Top 30 here: Germany 2006 Month by Month
Note: Sales of the VW Golf, Golf Plus and Jetta are added up in all monthly rankings.
Germany Full Year 2006:
| Pos | Model | 2006 | % | /05 | 2005 |
| 1 | VW Golf | 148,849 | 4.3% | -12% | 1 |
| 2 | VW Passat | 124,611 | 3.6% | 27% | 4 |
| 3 | BMW 3er | 115,753 | 3.3% | 20% | 5 |
| 4 | Opel Astra | 108,313 | 3.1% | -12% | 2 |
| 5 | Audi A4 | 96,410 | 2.8% | -4% | 3 |
| 6 | VW Polo | 85,676 | 2.5% | 21% | 10 |
| 7 | VW Touran | 83,461 | 2.4% | 10% | 9 |
| 8 | Audi A3 | 77,044 | 2.2% | 15% | 11 |
| 9 | VW Golf Plus | 76,533 | 2.2% | 21% | 13 |
| 10 | Ford Focus | 72,128 | 2.1% | -9% | 7 |
| 11 | Mercedes A-Klasse | 71,294 | 2.1% | -17% | 6 |
| 12 | Audi A6 | 64,643 | 1.9% | 2% | 12 |
| 13 | Mercedes B-Klasse | 63,348 | 1.8% | 103% | 29 |
| 14 | Mercedes C-Klasse | 62,380 | 1.8% | -20% | 8 |
| 15 | Opel Corsa | 60,969 | 1.8% | 15% | 19 |
| 16 | Ford Fiesta | 58,388 | 1.7% | 1% | 16 |
| 17 | Mercedes E-Klasse | 56,801 | 1.6% | -8% | 14 |
| 18 | Skoda Octavia | 56,745 | 1.6% | 11% | 20 |
| 19 | BMW 1er | 56,293 | 1.6% | 1% | 18 |
| 20 | Opel Meriva | 55,201 | 1.6% | -1% | 17 |
| 21 | Skoda Fabia | 54,672 | 1.6% | 16% | 22 |
| 22 | BMW 5er | 50,828 | 1.5% | -15% | 15 |
| 23 | Opel Zafira | 49,758 | 1.4% | 11% | 23 |
| 24 | VW Transporter | 43,957 | 1.3% | 14% | 24 |
| 25 | Renault Clio | 38,237 | 1.1% | 53% | 36 |
| 26 | VW Fox | 35,657 | 1.0% | 39% | 34 |
| 27 | Toyota Yaris | 31,893 | 0.9% | 36% | 38 |
| 28 | Renault Mégane | 30,395 | 0.9% | -14% | 25 |
| 29 | Fiat Punto | 30,250 | 0.9% | 96% | 57 |
| 30 | Peugeot 206 | 29,664 | 0.9% | -39% | 21 |
| 31 | VW Caddy | 28,238 | 0.8% | 23% | 39 |
| 32 | Ford Mondeo | 28,108 | 0.8% | -15% | 27 |
| 33 | Ford Focus C-Max | 27,624 | 0.8% | 11% | 37 |
| 34 | Renault Scénic | 27,139 | 0.8% | -11% | 30 |
| 35 | Opel Vectra | 25,337 | 0.7% | -19% | 28 |
| 36 | Seat Ibiza | 25,251 | 0.7% | 18% | 43 |
| 37 | Mini | 24,652 | 0.7% | -9% | 31 |
| 38 | Toyota Corolla | 23,471 | 0.7% | -11% | 33 |
| 39 | Mitsubishi Colt | 23,335 | 0.7% | 13% | 44 |
| 40 | BMW X3 | 23,256 | 0.7% | 6% | 40 |
| 41 | Peugeot 307 | 22,574 | 0.7% | -34% | 26 |
| 42 | Mazda6 | 21,921 | 0.6% | 17% | 45 |
| 43 | Toyota Avensis | 21,860 | 0.6% | -15% | 35 |
| 44 | Toyota RAV4 | 20,429 | 0.6% | 17% | 53 |
| 45 | Mazda3 | 20,253 | 0.6% | -6% | 42 |
| 46 | Toyota Corolla Verso | 19,994 | 0.6% | 7% | 46 |
| 47 | Peugeot 207 | 19,971 | 0.6% | new | |
| 48 | Nissan Micra | 19,598 | 0.6% | 10% | 50 |
| 49 | Mercedes M-Klasse | 19,098 | 0.6% | 42% | 63 |
| 50 | Ford Fusion | 18,773 | 0.5% | 15% | 56 |
| 51 | Honda Jazz | 18,556 | 0.5% | 2% | 49 |
| 52 | Smart Fortwo | 18,154 | 0.5% | -17% | 41 |
| 53 | Seat Leon | 17,949 | 0.5% | 59% | 72 |
| 54 | Toyota Aygo | 17,120 | 0.5% | 245% | 122 |
| 55 | Fiat Panda | 16,168 | 0.5% | 19% | 62 |
| 56 | Mazda5 | 15,151 | 0.4% | 110% | 89 |
| 57 | Honda Civic | 14,596 | 0.4% | 44% | 77 |
| 58 | Renault Modus | 14,587 | 0.4% | -45% | 32 |
| 59 | Kia Picanto | 14,337 | 0.4% | -19% | 52 |
| 60 | VW Touareg | 14,008 | 0.4% | -21% | 51 |
| 61 | Citroen C4 | 13,871 | 0.4% | 12% | 67 |
| 62 | Nissan Note | 13,682 | 0.4% | new | |
| 63 | Hyundai Tucson | 13,645 | 0.4% | 66% | 84 |
| 64 | Mercedes SLK | 13,321 | 0.4% | -24% | 54 |
| 65 | Peugeot 407 | 13,179 | 0.4% | -28% | 48 |
| 66 | Citroen Berlingo | 12,525 | 0.4% | -3% | 66 |
| 67 | VW Sharan | 12,301 | 0.4% | -13% | 59 |
| 68 | Seat Altea | 12,239 | 0.4% | -17% | 58 |
| 69 | Peugeot 107 | 12,179 | 0.4% | 315% | 155 |
| 70 | Mazda2 | 11,827 | 0.3% | 4% | 71 |
| 71 | Volvo V50 | 11,687 | 0.3% | -2% | 70 |
| 72 | Audi Q7 | 11,593 | 0.3% | 3042% | 263 |
| 73 | VW Jetta | 11,548 | 0.3% | 219% | 139 |
| 74 | VW Eos | 11,275 | 0.3% | new | 330 |
| 75 | Citroen C1 | 11,069 | 0.3% | 416% | 174 |
| 76 | Citroen C3 | 11,002 | 0.3% | 8% | 76 |
| 77 | Mercedes S-Klasse | 10,962 | 0.3% | 73% | 100 |
| 78 | Suzuki Swift | 10,874 | 0.3% | 101% | 111 |
| 79 | Renault Kangoo | 10,806 | 0.3% | -2% | 73 |
| 80 | BMW X5 | 10,676 | 0.3% | -22% | 61 |
| 81 | Citroen Xsara Picasso | 10,546 | 0.3% | 25% | 82 |
| 82 | Hyundai Getz | 10,544 | 0.3% | -24% | 60 |
| 83 | Ford S-Max | 10,405 | 0.3% | new | |
| 84 | Volvo V70 | 10,254 | 0.3% | -2% | 74 |
| 85 | Smart Forfour | 10,071 | 0.3% | -42% | 55 |
| 86 | Citroen C2 | 10,055 | 0.3% | -18% | 68 |
| 87 | Mercedes CLK | 9,910 | 0.3% | -19% | 69 |
| 88 | Ford Ka | 9,079 | 0.3% | -7% | 78 |
| 89 | Kia Sorento | 8,954 | 0.3% | 9% | 85 |
| 90 | Renault Twingo | 8,945 | 0.3% | -51% | 47 |
| 91 | Hyundai Atos | 8,711 | 0.3% | 11% | 87 |
| 92 | Porsche 911 | 8,393 | 0.2% | 18% | 90 |
| 93 | Volvo XC90 | 8,270 | 0.2% | 23% | 95 |
| 94 | Opel Tigra | 8,203 | 0.2% | -38% | 64 |
| 95 | Ford Galaxy | 8,053 | 0.2% | -38% | 65 |
| 96 | Opel Signum | 8,040 | 0.2% | -10% | 79 |
| 97 | Nissan X-Trail | 7,894 | 0.2% | -22% | 75 |
| 98 | Renault Laguna | 7,886 | 0.2% | -11% | 80 |
| 99 | Chevrolet Matiz | 7,881 | 0.2% | 25% | 101 |
| 100 | Suzuki Grand Vitara | 7,843 | 0.2% | 63% | 125 |
Source: KBA, Manufacturers, many thanks to Florian for sharing the data!
The Golf Plus is a Golf, too. It’s interesting to see how well the Plus does, but there’s no sense to separate both in the statistics. Otherwise the Cabriolet could be separated as well, which wouldn’t make sense either.
Hey Pedro – aaaah the subtleties of separating MPV versions in sales. A neverending debate… One view is to say that if we separate C4 and C4 Picasso, C3 and C3 Picasso, Focus and C-Max then we should separate Golf and Golf Plus… But I know I’m not going to win with everyone on that one!