Best Selling Cars – Matt's blog

Toyota Yaris

* See the Top 70 best-selling models by clicking on the title! *

Absolutely no light at the end of the tunnel for new car sales in Greece, down 47% year-on-year in November to 4,157 registrations, bringing the year-to-date total to 50,641 units, down 45% on 2011. For the 5th time in the last 12 months after last December, February, August and October, the Toyota Yaris is the best-selling car in the country with 363 sales and 8.7%, its 2nd highest market share in the last 2 years behind the 14.7% it hit in December 2011. It is however still #2 year-to-date as the advantage the Opel Corsa has taken over the course of the year is now all but insurmountable at 3,666 units and 6.6% vs. 3,275 and 5.8% for the Yaris…

VW Up!

There are a few other great performers within the Top 10, namely the VW Up! up 11 spots on October to equal its highest ranking in Greece so far at #6 (which it hit last September also) with 142 sales and 3.4%, the Citroen C4 up 3 to #7, the Peugeot 208 lodging its third consecutive month in the Top 10 at #8 and the Skoda Fabia up a shiny 13 ranks to #9.

Further down, the Ford Focus is up 30 spots to #15, the Mercedes A-Class is up from outside the Top 80 to #18 thanks to the new model, the Volvo V40 is up 19 to #21, the Skoda Citigo up 24 to #27 and the Mini Countryman up 26 to #32. Finally, notice the Peugeot 301 registering its first 12 units in the country at #67.

Previous post: Greece mid-November 2012: Toyota leads in market down 66%

Previous month: Greece October 2012: Toyota Yaris and Citroen C3 shine

One year ago: Greece November 2011: Opel Corsa hits highest ’11 share, Yaris up

Full November 2012 Top 70 Ranking Table below.

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The new gen Toyota Auris has just launched in Greece.

* NOW UPDATED with the Top 38 All-brands ranking! Click on title to see. Thanks to Bill/Yo *

Very quick update on the Greek market midway through November and the situation is getting even worse now. At only 1,020 sales, the new car market in Greece is down 66% year-on-year. The 2012 year-to-date figure now stands at 51,666 units, down 41% on 2011. It is now certain that 2012 will be the first time since 1988 or 24 years that Greek new car sales fall below 60,000 units…

Brand-wise, Toyota leads with 154 sales and 15.5% share (-54%) ahead of Volkswagen at 137 units and 13.4% (-70%) and Opel with 84 sales and 8.2% (-81%). 3 mainstream brands manage to progress year-on-year: Peugeot up 27% to #5, Citroen up 29% to #6 and Mercedes up 20% to #9, with Abarth and Land Rover both up 100% to just 2 units… The hardest hit brands are Subaru, Mazda, Lexus, Jeep and Porsche (all at -100%), Honda (-96%), SsangYong (-92%), Mitsubishi & Daihatsu (-87%), Hyundai (-85%), Ford & Skoda (-81%) and Seat (-80%).

Previous month: Greece October 2012: Toyota Yaris and Citroen C3 shine

One year ago: Greece November 2011: Opel Corsa hits highest ’11 share, Toyota Yaris up

Full mid-November 2012 Top 38 All-brands Ranking Table below.

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Toyota Yaris

* See the Top 80 best-selling models by clicking on the title! *

After 9 consecutive months of year-on-year decline, the Greek new car market is up 2% year-on-year in October and for the first time in 2012, to a still extremely shy 5,111 registrations. This brings the year-to-date total to 50,641 units, down a steep 40% on 2011. For the 4th time in the last 12 months after last December, February and August, the Toyota Yaris is the most popular model in the country with 413 sales and 8.1%, its 2nd highest market share in the last 2 years behind the 14.7% it hit in December 2011. The Citroen C3 is back up 8 spots to a shiny 2nd place at 366 units and 7.2%, its 2nd strongest share ever in Greece below the 8.4% it hit last June.

Citroen C3. Picture by L’Argus, all rights reserved.

The Opel Corsa rounds up the podium at an excellent 7.1% and keeps the lead of the 2012 year-to-date ranking at 3,355 sales and 6.6%. It is followed by the VW Polo very solid at 6.6% and the Opel Astra at 3.5%. The Peugeot 208 is up 3 ranks to a best-ever #6 at 151 units and 3%, the Citroen C4 is up 8 to #10, the Fiat Grande Punto up 9 to #14, the Kia Rio robust at #15, the Fiat new Panda up 25 to #20, the Honda Civic up 23 to #25 and the Volvo V40 breaks into the Greek Top 50 for the first time at #40 with 38 sales.

Lifan 320

Greece is one of only a few countries in Western Europe where Chinese cars are available, but their success has been extremely limited. The most successful year-to-date is the Lifan 320 with just 8 units sold (all-new for 2012), followed by the ChangAn Benni with 4 sales (-50%) and the JAC Rein with one (new). The HX Auto Noble, a clone of the Smart Fortwo, is down 96% with one sale as well.

Previous post: Greece 1932: Ford and Chevrolet most popular, 4 US brands in Top 6

Previous month: Greece September 2012: Opel Corsa leads, VW Up! in Top 10

One year ago: Greece October 2011: Opel Corsa #1 for 9th time this year

Full October 2012 Top 80 Ranking Table below.

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Opel Corsa

* See the Top 70 best-selling models by clicking on the title! *

I wish I could finally give you good news about the Greek new car market, but unfortunately it is still not the case in September, with sales down 42% year-on-year to 3,463 registrations, bringing the year-to-date total to 45,530, down 43% on 2011 which was already down 35% on 2010… This month the Opel Corsa reclaims the pole position it already holds in the year-to-date ranking, selling 241 units for a 7% market share compared to 2,992 and 6.1% ytd. It is the 6th time in the last 12 month the Corsa ranks #1 in Greece and the first time since last March.

VW Up!

The Toyota Yaris, leader in August, is down to #2 with 187 sales and 5.4%, followed by the VW Polo at 3.9%, the Ford Fiesta at 3.5% and the Toyota Auris, improving on an already great month of August to #5 at 113 units and 3.3% vs. #12 year-to-date. 3 other models impress in the Top 10 this month: the VW Up! is up 12 spots to a record #6 with 103 sales and 6%, the Hyundai i20 is up 8 to #7 and 2.6% and the Peugeot 208 breaks into the Greek Top 10 for the first time, up 2 ranks to #9 at 86 units and 2.5%.

Other good performers this month in Greece include the Kia Rio us 21 spots to #11, the Ford Focus up 10 to #13, the BMW 1 Series up 21 to #21, the Alfa Romeo Giulietta up 28 to #22, the Mercedes B-Class up 46 to #24, the Mitsubishi Lancer up to #27, the Hyundai i30 up 13 to #31, the Skoda Citigo breaking into the Top 50 for the first time, up 20 ranks to #34 and the Citroen DS3 up 14 to #43.

Previous post: Greece: 1962-2011 more detailed Historical Data now available!

Previous month: Greece August 2012: Toyota Yaris, Aygo and Auris up in KO market

One year ago: Greece September 2011: Corsa, Aygo and Astra on top

Full September 2012 Top 70 Ranking Table below.

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Thanks to its pick-up sales, Datsun topped the overall Greek brands ranking as early as 1971

* See the direct links to these 20 posts by clicking on the title! Thanks to Bill, Kostas & Stac *

While the Greek market is down to its worst level since 1981, I can now share with you Historical information for the last 50 years in Greece – up to 1962, with detailed brands ranking for most years during the sixties and the seventies… plus as a present a Top 6 manufacturers for 1932. There is now an annual Top 50 models from 1993 onwards. From January 1998 onwards the #1 car for every single month has been downloaded on BSCB, and the all-models rankings from 1998 to 2011!

Starting at 7,572 registrations in 1962, Greek sales passed the 50,000 sales milestone for the first time in 1975, the 100,000 in 1978 and the 200,000 in 1998. 2000 remains Greece’s strongest year ever at 290,030 registrations. 2012 may be the first year since 1981 where less than 50,000 cars are registered in the country…

Toyota was #1 in Greece overall for the first time in 1974 thanks to the Hilux

Dominated by Ford, VW and Opel in the sixties, Greek roads take a distinct Japanese turn in the early seventies with Datsun the best-selling brand in the country in 1971 when sales of pick-ups are included. Toyota ranks #1 in the overall brands ranking in 1974, 75 and 79, here again thanks to very solid pick-up sales by the Hilux. In the Passenger Cars ranking, Fiat is sovereign throughout the seventies thanks to the 127 and 128, its supremacy only interrupted by Lada in 1974.

Fiat dominated the Passenger Cars ranking in the seventies thanks to the 127 and 128

Very little models information is available until 1992 when he Nissan Sunny is in pole position. The Toyota Corolla follows in 1993 and from 2003 to 2005, the Seat Ibiza is crowned in 1994, the Fiat Punto leads the way in 1995, 1996 and 2002, the Hyundai Accent reigns in 1997, 1998 and 2000, the Opel Astra in 1999, 2001 and 2008, the Ford Focus in 2006, the Opel Corsa in 2007 and 2011, the Ford Fiesta in 2009 and the Toyota Yaris in 2010…

Direct links to 20 Greek Historical Data articles below (1962-2011).

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Toyota Yaris

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

No improvement in sight for the Greek new car market, down 47% year-on-year in August to 3,886 registrations and 42% year-to-date at 42,080 units… The Citroen C3 has finally relinquished its throne after 3 consecutive months of reign, now down to #5. The Toyota Yaris takes the lead for the third time in the last 9 months after December 2011 and February 2012 with 282 sales and 7.3%, ahead of the Opel Corsa, still leader year-to-date at 2,751 units and 6.5%, the VW Polo up one spot on July to 4.6% share and the Opel Astra up 4 to 4.3%.

Toyota is in shape this month, placing the Aygo at #7 (+27) and the Auris at #8 (+14). The Citroen C4 and Peugeot 208 continue to progress, both up 2 ranks to #10 and #11 respectively, the VW Up! is up one to #18, the Mitsubishi ASX up 22 to #25, the Audi A1 up 2 to #27, the Kia Cee’d up from outside the Top 50 to #30, the Honda Civic up 15 spots to #41 and the Hyundai i30 back in the ranking at #44.

Previous month: Greece July 2012: Citroen C3 leader for third consecutive time

One year ago: Greece August 2011: 3 Toyotas in Top 6

Full August 2012 Top 50 Ranking Table below.

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Citroen C3: the bright spot in a dark Greek market. Picture by Ciprian Mihai, all rights reserved.

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

Another very shy month for new car sales in Greece, down 42% in July both year-on-year to 5,757 registrations and year-to-date at 38,134 units… For the first time in at least 15 years, a Citroen manages to hold the pole position for 3 consecutive months: the C3 is #1 again this month with 327 sales and 5.7% thanks to aggressive pricing, and is now #3 year-to-date at 1,572 units and 4.1% vs. #22 over 2011. In fact the podium is unchanged on June with the Toyota Yaris #2 at 5.1% and the Opel Corsa #3 at 4.6%. Note the Opel Corsa is still leader year-to-date with 2,481 sales and 6.5% share.

Hyundai i10

Excellent performance of the Hyundai i10, up 7 spots on June to #5 with 212 sales and 3.7%, and now up to #8 year-to-date. The Seat Ibiza maintains itself within the Top 10 at #10, the Citroen C4 is also boosted by endearing prices, up 14 ranks to #12, the Peugeot 208 cuts its ranking in half compared to June at #13 with 1.9% share, the Chevrolet Spark jumps out of nowhere onto #18, the VW Up! breaks into the Greek Top 20 for the first time at #19, the VW Passat is up 32 ranks to #21 while the Audi A1 is up 17 to #29 and the Seat Leon is up to #30.

Previous month: Greece June 2012: Citroen C3 impresses further, up to 8.4%

One year ago: Greece July 2011: Hyundai i20 on podium

Full July 2012 Top 50 Ranking Table below.

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Citroen C3

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

No sign of improvement for the Greek car market, down 43% year-on-year in June to 5,524 registrations and bringing the year-to-date total to 32,377 units, down 41% on 2011. Citroen reaps the benefits of an aggressive pricing strategy and manages to place the C3 in pole position for the second month in a row with 466 sales and a huge 8.4% market share. This is the first time since September 1998 that a Citroen manages to hold the Greek #1 spot for 2 consecutive months. The Citroen C3 is now #4 year-to-date with 1,245 sales and 3.8% vs. #22 in 2011…

The next two models stay unchanged: the Toyota Yaris ranks #2 with 4.9% share while the Opel Corsa is #3 with 4.7%. The Opel Corsa is still in the lead year-to-date with 2,215 units and 6.8%. Within the Top 10, notice also the Seat Ibiza up 7 spots on May to #6, the Toyota Auris up 8 to #7 and the Kia Rio up a massive 32 ranks to #10. Further down, other great performers include the Citroen C1 at #13 vs. #35 in 2011, the VW Up! up to #24, the Chevrolet Cruze up to #30, the Suzuki SX4 up to #32 and the Fiat New Panda up to #38.

Previous month: Greece May 2012: A Citroen leads for the first time since 1999

One year ago: Greece June 2011: Opel Corsa continues to dominate

Full June 2012 Top 50 Ranking Table below.

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Citroen C3

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

Another depressing result for Greek car sales, down 48% year-on-year in May to 5,265 sales, which brings the year-to-date total to 26,853 units, down 41% on 2011. For the first time in 13 years, exactly since July 1999 when the Citroen Saxo topped the Greek models ranking, a Citroen is in pole position: the C3 beats its record for the third consecutive month and sells 302 units for a brilliant 5.7% market share. It is now #6 year-to-date with 779 sales and 2.9% vs. #22 in 2011.

The last Citroen to top the Greek monthly ranking was the Saxo in July 1999

The Toyota Yaris is up one spot to #2 at 288 units and 5.5%, followed by the Opel Corsa down 2 to #3 with 274 sales and 5.2%. Year-to-date, the Corsa is still leader by far at 1,953 units and 7.3% vs. 1,466 and 5,3% for the Yaris. Good month for the Nissan Micra up 8 ranks to #4, ahead of the Opel Astra (-1). The Citroen C4 maintains itself in the Top 10 at #9 while the Citroen C1 is up a huge 40 spots to rank #10 and make Citroen the best-selling brand in the country this month.

Previous month: Greece April 2012: Citroen C3 and Lancia Ypsilon stay afloat

One year ago: Greece May 2011: Nissan Micra up to #2

Full May 2012 Top 50 Ranking Table below.

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Lancia Ypsilon

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

The nightmare continues for car sales in Greece, reflecting the seemingly unsolvable economic situation the country is finding itself in at the moment. At 4,409 units in April, the market is down 57% on 2011, 65% on 2010, 68% on 2009 and 84% on 2008… For the 10th time in the last 12 months the Opel Corsa is the best-selling model in the country with 262 sales and 5.9%. Already at its highest last month in 7th place, the Citroen C3 simply further doubles its market share to deliver by very far its strongest month in Greece in 2nd place with 236 units and 5.4%. The Toyota Yaris rounds up the podium with 227 sales and 5.1% and ranks #2 year-to-date like in 2011.

Citroen C3

A few other models stay afloat: the Peugeot 207 in runout mode is up 19 spots on last month to #7, the Citroen C4 is up 16 to #8, the Lancia Ypsilon breaks into the Greek Top 10 for the first time at #10 and 92 sales, by far its highest ranking outside of Italy and up 20 ranks on March, the Fiat Grande Punto is up 44 spots to #11, the Suzuki Alto is up 19 to #16, the VW Up! is up 9 to a best-ever #18, the Suzuki Splash is up to #40 and the new generation Fiat Panda whose sales are counted separately in Greece appears at #49.

Previous month: Greece March 2012: Citroen C3 and Audi Q3 shine in weak market

One year ago: Greece April 2011: Opel Corsa and Nissan Micra strong

Full April 2012 Top 50 Ranking Table below.

Read more…