Sweden September 2016: VW Golf best-seller for third month in a row

The Alltrack variant is helping the VW Golf to #1 in Sweden. Picture mullersvarld.se 

* See the Top 45 All-brands and Top 252 All-models by clicking on the title *

The Swedish new car market is up 9% both in September at 32.292 registrations and year-to-date at 271.396. This is Sweden’s 33rd consecutive month of year-on-year gains and the 2nd largest September volume in history, only topped by September 1974 which was impacted by an impending tax cut. After falling to #2 during its summer break, homegrown market leader Volvo reclaims the top spot off Volkswagen but sees its sales drop by a worrying 13% to 5.394 and 16.7% share vs. 18.4% year-to-date. Volkswagen for its part is up 20% to 4.989 and 15.4% share, and the rest of the Top 10 also posts 20%+ gains: Toyota returns to #3 at 7% share (+20%) ahead of Kia (+27%) and BMW (+24%). In fact, only Audi (-6%), Nissan (-8%) and Ford (-14%) decline in the Top 15, all other manufacturers snapping double-digit gains, led by Opel (+40%), Hyundai (+50%), Dacia (+62%) and Renault (+64%).

The all-new Sportswagon variant propels the Kia Optima just outside the Top 20.

The Swedish models ranking is undergoing a once-in-a-decade reshuffling: Volvo adding together of the outgoing V70 with the all-new S90 and V90 doesn’t prevent the combined nameplate to freefall 56% to #6. The VW Golf on the other hand manages a historical third month in a row in pole position despite sales down 18% year-on-year to 1.910 and 5.6% share. This is only the 6th time ever the Golf ranks #1 in Sweden after August 2010, 2014, 2015 and the last 3 months, and the 7th month in the past decade that there isn’t a Volvo at #1 (add the VW Passat in August 2013). The newly launched Alltrack station wagon variant, tapping right into Swedish consumers’ preferences, is helping the Golf remain at the highest level in Sweden.

The XC60 is up 4 spots on August to hit an all-time best 2nd place overall with 1.509 units, distancing the Volvo S/V60 (1.350), VW Passat up 57% (1.318) and Volvo V40 (1.126). The VW Polo (+136%), Kia Ceed (+68%), Peugeot 208 (+60%) and Toyota RAV4 (+65%) shine in the Top 20, while below the Kia Optima is up 14-fold thanks to the arrival of an all-new Sportswagon variant, the Kia Niro is up 166 spots on August to #54 and the Tesla Model X is up 126 to #65.

Previous month: Sweden August 2016: Podium 100% VW during Volvo’s summer break

One year ago: Sweden September 2015: Mini Cooper breaks into Top 10

Full September 2016 Top 45 All-brands and Top 252 All-models below.