Best Selling Cars – Matt's blog

BMW 3 Series

* See the Top 50 best-selling models by clicking on the title! *

After dropping by 12% in February and by 18% in March, the Austrian new car market slows down its fall in April at -6% to 30,807 registrations, bringing the year-to-date total to 110,831 units, now down 9% on 2012. Interrupted by the Nissan Qashqai last month, Volkswagen is back to monopolising the Austrian models podium in April and for the 7th time in the last 12 months, with the Golf on top at 4.6% share followed by the Tiguan at 2.9% and the Polo at 2.6%.

Audi Q3

There are two clear winners this month in Austria: the BMW 3 Series, traditionally ranking way below its German level, is up 8 spots to an outstanding 4th position this month with 638 sales and 2.1%. This is the highest ranking the 3 Series has reached here since the creation of BestSellingCarsBlog in 2010. The Audi Q3 for its part is up 25 ranks to break into the Austrian Top 10 (and any country’s Top 10 for that matter) for the first time ever at #8 with 504 units and 1.6%. An exceptional performance for the smallest Audi SUV indeed.

Other great performers this month include the Hyundai ix35 up 17 spots to #9, the Fiat 500 at #10, the Renault Scenic up 18 to #11, Ford Focus up 19 to #12 and the Ford Galaxy up from outside the Top 50 last month to #19. Finally notice the Opel Mokka down from a world-best #14 in March to #31 this month.

Previous month: Austria March 2013: Nissan Qashqai on podium for the first time

One year ago: Austria April 2012: Audi A1 up to best-ever #14, Q3 up to #25

Full April 2013 Top 50 Ranking Table below.

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Nissan Qashqai

* See the Top 50 best-selling models and Top 30 brands by clicking on the title! *

New car sales in Austria are down a horrid 18% year-on-year in March to 31,067 registrations, bringing the year-to-date total to 80,024 units, down 10% on 2012. Two Volkswagens dominate the ranking this month: the Golf is at its traditional top spot with 1,529 sales and 4.9% followed by the Polo once again at 1,008 units and 3.2% and now also #2 year-to-date whereas it ranked #3 in 2012. The VW Tiguan is knocked out of the podium by the Nissan Qashqai, and I know you probably are getting tired of me praising the sales performance of the Nissan compact SUV but the fact that it breaks onto the Austrian podium for the first time ever no less than 5 years after its original launch is simply breathtaking. It sells 848 units for a 2.7% share and now ranks #6 year-to-date vs. #15 over the Full Year 2012…

Opel Mokka

The Hyundai i20 is up 4 spots on February to a fantastic 5th position with 606 sales and 2%, the Fiat 500 is up 14 to #6 at 578 units and 1.9% however this figure includes the 500L which must be selling very well to boost the overall 500 ranking so much. The other great performer this month is the Opel Mokka up 28 ranks to #14 with 432 units and 1.4%, its best ranking in the world so far and already Opel’s best-seller in the country ahead of the Corsa at #16! Notice also the Renault Megane up 9 spots to #8, the BMW 3 Series up 14 to #12, Toyota Verso up 26 to #20, Toyota RAV4 up 61 to #35 and the Skoda Rapid breaking into the Austrian Top 50 for the first time at #45.

Previous month: Austria February 2013: Nissan Qashqai and Renault Clio at record levels

One year ago: Austria March 2012: New gen Opel Zafira climbs up to #7

Full March 2013 Top 50 models and Top 30 brands Ranking Tables below.

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Renault Clio

* See the Top 100 best-selling models and Top 30 brands by clicking on the title! *

The Austrian new car market is down 12% year-on-year in February to 21,196 registrations, bringing the year-to-date total to 48,957 units, down 4% on 2012. After one month interruption in January, it’s back to a podium 100% Volkswagen this month with the Golf in the lead at 1,145 units and 5.4% share followed by the Polo with 714 sales and 3.4% and the Tiguan at 572 units and 2.7%. The two best performers in Austria in February are the Nissan Qashqai up 14 spots to a best-ever 4th place with 539 sales and 2.5% and the Renault Clio boosted by the new generation, up 20 ranks to #5 at 420 units and 2% which is to my knowledge the nameplate’s best ranking in at least 3 years.

Range Rover

Other great performers this month include the Audi A3 up 9 spots to #7 with 396 sales and 1.9%, the Seat Leon up 15 to #15 at 313 units and 1.5% vs. #49 over the Full Year 2012, the Audi Q3 maintaining itself within the Austrian Top 20 at #19, the Audi Q5 up 14 ranks to #28 vs. #69 in 2012, the Mazda6 up 14 to #38 vs. #93 and the Range Rover up to #73 thanks to the new model vs. #169 in 2012. Note this month there are 10 VAG Group models inside the Austrian Top 19 most popular cars.

Previous month: Austria January 2013: Skoda Octavia hits highest ever scores

One year ago: Austria February 2013: Fiat Panda an instant hit

Full February 2013 Top 100 models and Top 30 brands Ranking Tables below.

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Skoda Octavia

* See the Top 100 best-selling models and Top 30 brands by clicking on the title! *

New car sales in Austria are up a healthy 3% year-on-year in January to 27,761 registrations, and the Volkswagen Group domination continues in the country: there are 9 VAG models in the Top 9 this month! The VW Golf leads the way with 1,377 sales and 5%, however the Skoda Octavia is catching on, up to 1,332 units and 4.8%, by far its strongest volume and market share in the country ever! The Skoda Fabia is also doing amazingly well, hitting its highest volume and share in almost 5 years with 1,084 sales and 3.9%, only its 11th time above 1,000 monthly units in the last 10 years… The Fabia’s monthly record remains 1,272 units in April 2003.

Skoda Fabia

The VW Polo and Tiguan follow, while the Skoda Yeti reaches its 2nd highest ever ranking in Austria below January 2012 (#5), up to #6 at 572 units and 2.1%, ahead of the Seat Ibiza (+31), VW Sharan (-4) and VW Touran (-4), making the 9 most popular models in Austria this month 100% VAG Group. The best-selling non-VAG model in January is the Hyundai i20 at #10.

Seat Alhambra

Other great performers include the Seat Alhambra up 10 ranks to #12, BMW 3 Series up 9 to #14, Audi Q3 up 11 to #17, Mercedes A-Class up to #21 vs. #75 in FY2012. Further down, notice the Seat Altea up 24 spot to #24, BMW X1 up to #27, Opel Mokka up 30 to #29, Seat Leon up to #30, Skoda Citigo up to #31, Mazda CX-5 up to #32 vs. #71 in FY2012 and Toyota Auris up to #50 vs. #113.

Previous post: Austria Full Year 2012: VW Tiguan star of the show

Previous month: Austria December 2012: Volkswagen places 6 models in the Top 6!

One year ago: Austria January 2012: Skoda Yeti up to best-ever 5th place

Full January 2013 Top 100 models and Top 30 brands Ranking Tables below.

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VW Tiguan

* See the Top 100 best-selling models by clicking on the title! *

The Austrian new car market is down 6% year-on-year in 2012 to 336,010 registrations, and the most popular model in the country this year is familiar: the VW Golf is in the lead for potentially the 36th consecutive year (longer than in Germany!) but reaches its weakest share since 2009 at 4.2% and 14,215 sales, down 15% on 2011. The star of the year is without contest the VW Tiguan, up 57% and 8 spots on last year to #2 at 9,378 units and 2.8%, even interrupting 36 consecutive months of VW Golf reign when it took the lead of the monthly Austrian ranking for the first time in October…

Hyundai i20

In fact Volkswagen monopolises the Full Year models podium (like in Germany) for the first time in Austria with the Polo ranking #3 with 9,302 sales and 2.8%, down 22% on 2011. The Skoda Octavia is back up two ranks to #4 (+6%), ahead of the Skoda Fabia (-7%), Seat Ibiza (-22%) and Hyundai i30 (-7%). Good year for the Ford Fiesta up 5 spots and 7% to #8 but disappointing performances of the VW Passat at #9 (-19%) and Opel Astra at #10 (-39%).

Mazda CX-5

Outside the Top 10, great performers include the Hyundai i20 up 24 spots to #13, Nissan Qashqai up 12 to #15, Hyundai ix35 up 14 to #21, Opel Zafira up 24 to #22, Skoda Yeti up 21 to #23, BMW 3 Series up 20 to #28, Audi Q3 up 125 to #33, Kia Rio up 49 to #37 and Mercedes B-Class up 38 to #51. There are 4 all-new models in the Austrian Top 100 this year: the VW Up! at #41, Peugeot 208 at #42, Mazda CX-5 at #71 and Dacia Lodgy at #94. Brand-wise, let’s salute the performances of Skoda at #2 (+2), Hyundai at #5 (+2) and Land Rover up 95%.

Previous post: Austria December 2012: Volkswagen places 6 models in the Top 6!

Previous year: Austria Full Year 2011: VW Golf, Polo and Opel Astra on podium

Full Year 2012 Top 100 models and Top 30 brands Ranking Tables below.

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VW Touran

* See the Top 50 best-selling models and Top 30 brands by clicking on the title! *

* See the Full Year 2012 post here *

December new cars sales are down 21% year-on-year in December in Austria to 18,421 registrations, bringing the Full Year 2012 total to 336,010 units, down 6% on 2011. Historical event this month: Volkswagen manages to place 6 models in the Top 6! To my knowledge it is the first time in the history of automobile in any country that Volkswagen has managed this feat, traditionally reserved to Toyota in the Middle East or South East Asia! The Golf leads the charge with 1,029 sales, followed by the Polo at 603, Tiguan at 558, Sharan at 472, Touran at 342 and Passat at 339…

Other great performers this month include the VW Bus up 9 spots on November to #11, the Fiat 500 up 17 to #12, Subaru XV up to a best-ever #15, Peugeot 208 up 32 to #17, Suzuki Swift up to #19, Mazda CX-5 up to #34 and the Ford B-Max breaking into the Austrian Top 50 for the first time at #50. Notice also the Opel Mokka down 12 ranks to #59. Brand-wise, Volkswagen grabs 23.6% of the Austrian market vs. 18.3% in the Full Year and Hyundai is up to #3.

Full Year post: Austria Full Year 2012: VW Tiguan star of the show

Previous month: Austria November 2012: Dacia Lodgy and Opel Mokka up

One year ago: Austria December 2011: VW Tiguan delivers its best-ever month

Full December 2012 Top 50 models and Top 30 brands Ranking Tables below.

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Dacia Lodgy

* See the Top 50 best-selling models and Top 20 brands by clicking on the title! *

New car sales in Austria are down a painful 20% year-on-year in November to 24,377 registrations, bringing the year-to-date total to 317,589 units, down 5% on 2011. After being passed by the VW Tiguan to rank #2 for the first time in over 3 years last month, the VW Golf reclaims its traditional pole position in Austria with the support of the 7th generation now on sale at 1,193 units and 4.9%, with its year-to-date total now standing at a shiny 13,186 sales and 4.2%. Volkswagen monopolises the Austrian podium  for the 5th time in the last 6 months, placing the Polo at #2 and the Tiguan at #3.

Opel Mokka

The Ford Fiesta is up one further spot to a brilliant 4th place at 572 units and 2.3%, the Hyundai i20 is up a massive 17 ranks to land at #6, the BMW 3 Series is up 5 to #7 and the Fiat Panda up a mammoth 35 to #9. Further down, the Dacia Lodgy breaks into the Austrian Top 20 for the first time at #17, its highest ranking in the world so far this month, the Audi Q3 is up 9 to #19 to rank within the Top 20 for the 2nd time after last May, the Seat Leon is up to #24 and the Opel Mokka breaks into the Top 50 at #47.

Hyundai is the #4 brand in Austria in November.

There is now also a Top 20 brands ranking available for Austria, with Volkswagen unsurprisingly head and shoulders above the competition but down 22% in November at 4,661 sales and 19.1%, followed by Ford (-17%) and Audi (-29%). Skoda ranks #2 year-to-date at 20,983 units and 6.6% but is down to #6 in November. Notice also Hyundai up to #4 this month, BMW up to #5, Mercedes up to #10 and Dacia up 64% to #14.

Previous month: Austria October 2012: VW Tiguan passes Golf and takes the lead!

One year ago: Austria November 2011: VW Tiguan confirms podium position

Full November 2012 Top 50 models and Top 20 brands Ranking Tables below.

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VW Tiguan

* See the Top 50 best-selling models by clicking on the title! *

The Austrian new car market is down 9% year-on-year in October to 26,322 registrations, bringing the year-to-date total to 293,212 units, down 3% on 2011. It was close in September but this month it has happened: for the first time in 3 years – since October 2009 exactly when the VW Polo ranked #1, the VW Golf is not the best-selling car in Austria in October, the VW Tiguan is, thanks to 892 sales and 3.4% share vs. 839 and 3.2% for the Golf, handicapped by the imminent arrival of the 7th generation. It is the first time the Tiguan leads the Austrian models ranking but not its strongest volume (1,213 units last June) not share (4.3% last December)

In fact the Tiguan is only the 5th model in the last 6 years to have managed to passed the Golf in a monthly ranking after the Audi A4 in August 2008, the Skoda Octavia in February 2009, the Seat Ibiza in June 2009 and the VW Polo in October 2009. Volkswagen monopolises the Austrian podium this month for the 4th time in the last 5 months and like in the 2012 year-to-date ranking with the Polo taking the third position with 765 sales and 2.9%.

Great performances of the Hyundai i30 up 10 spots on September to #4, the Ford Fiesta up 7 to #5 and the Audi A3 up 4 to #6. The Fiat 500 is up 11 ranks to #9, the BMW 3 Series up 13 to #12, the Peugeot 208 up 8 to #16, the Dacia Duster up 33 to #18 and the BMW X3 up 21 to #25. The Dacia Lodgy breaks into the Austrian Top 50 for the first time, landing directly at #33 with 251 sales and 1% share while the Ford B-Max arrives at #60 with 164 units and 0.6% and the Opel Mokka is #88 with 97 sales and 0.4%.

Previous month: Austria September 2012: VW Tiguan only 45 units from #1 spot!

One year ago: Austria October 2011: VW Tiguan and BMW X3 take off

Full October 2012 Top 50 Ranking Table below.

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VW Tiguan

* See the Top 50 best-selling models by clicking on the title! *

New car sales in Austria are down 12% year-on-year in September to 27,094 registrations, bringing the year-to-date total to 266,890 units, down 3% on 2011. We nearly witnessed a massive event this month in Austria: had the VW Tiguan sold 45 more units, it would have snapped the Austrian models pole position away from the VW Golf, a feat that no model has achieved in the country since the Seat Ibiza ranked #1 in June 2009…

VW Golf 7. Transitions between Golf generations are always interesting times in Austria…

The Tiguan sells 943 units for a 3.5% market share, ranking #2 for the 4th time in Austria after December 2011, June and July 2012. The Golf is at 987 sales and 3.6%, its weakest share in over 2 years. With the Golf 6 winding down and the 7 arriving in dealerships at the end of the year, there is still going to be a couple more wobbly months where it could be toppled…

Audi A3. Picture by L’Argus, all rights reserved.

The Austrian models ranking is traditionally very volatile and this month is no exception. Below the Skoda Octavia up 3 spots to #3, the Skoda Fabia is up 10 to #4, followed by the Renault Scenic up 19 to #5, the Hyundai i20 down one to a still amazing #6, the Kia Cee’d up 10 to #7, the Seat Ibiza down 4 to #8, the Skoda Yeti up 14 to #9, the Audi A3 up one to #10 – its first time in the Austrian Top 10 in over 2 years – and the Audi A4 down 4 to #11. This makes it 8 VAG models in the Top 11 vs. 10 in the Top 11 last month and 7 in the Top 8 in July…

Mercedes A-Class. Picture by L’Argus, all rights reserved.

Other great performers this month include the Ford Galaxy up 25 ranks to #18, the Fiat 500 up 19 to #20, the BMW 3 Series up 16 to #25, the BMW X1 up 14 to #31 vs. #56 year-to-date, the Mercedes A-Class up to #35 vs. #81 ytd, the Mitsubishi Colt up to #38 vs. #64 ytd and the Ford Ka up to #40 vs. #83 ytd. Outside the Top 50, notice the Dacia Lodgy at #77, VW Beetle at #100, Volvo V40 at #105, Citroen C4 Aircross at #134, Peugeot 4008 at #142, Opel Mokka at #162 and Ford B-Max at #170.

Previous post: Austria 1977-2011 Historical Data now available!

Previous month: Austria August 2012: 10 VAG models in Top 11!

One year ago: Austria September 2011: Kia Cee’d and VW Tiguan in great shape

Full September 2012 Top 50 Ranking Table below.

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The VW Golf Plus was #1 in Austria in December 2005, beating the Golf!

* See the direct links to these 14 Historical posts by clicking on the title! *

You have now access to Historical new car sales info for Austria for the last 35 years! From 1977 to 1992 the only info I have is that the VW Golf is likely to have remained the best-seller in the country for the whole period. If you have more detailed car sales data for that time or before 1977 please make sure you get in touch by commenting on this article or clicking on the ‘Contact us’ tab and filling your details!

The VW Golf is likely to have been #1 at year-end in Austria for the last 35 years

The last 35 years of car sales in Austria could be summarised in one word: Golf. Volkswagen’s best-seller has been on top of the sales charts potentially each year since 1977 but has seen its market share weaken over the period, in line with the increased fragmentation of most European car markets. It went from 10.9% in 1994 to a lowest ever 3.7% in 2006 then back up to 5.2% in 2010.

Seat Ibiza

From 2003 onwards there is a monthly ranking available and it shows that between 2003 and 2009 the Golf is not #1 in the country absolutely every month although it has not failed to finish each year in first place. The VW Polo was #1 five times over the period (September 2003, August 2005, August-October 2006, and October 2009) and the VW Passat 3 times (October-November 2005, January 2006). The VW Sharan was #1 in December 2004, the Opel Astra in July 2005, the VW Golf Plus in December 2005, the Skoda Fabia in July 2006, the Audi A4 in August 2008, the Skoda Octavia in February 2009, the Seat Ibiza in June 2009 and the VW Tiguan in October 2012.

The Skoda Fabia ranked #2 in Austria in 2004 and 2008

Note that the only model managing a monthly pole position in Austria in the last ten years that does not belong to the VAG Group is the Opel Astra for one lonely month in July 2005… From 1996 onwards, there is a Skoda within the Austrian year-end Top 10: the Felicia ranks #7 in 1996, then the Fabia is up to #3 in 2001 and 2003 and #2 in 2004 and 2008, while the Octavia up to #4 in 2009.

The direct links to these 14 Austrian Historical posts are below.

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