Germany December 2012: BMW 1 Series up to best-ever #2!

BMW 1 Series

* See the Top 308 All-models ranking and Top 50 All-brands by clicking on the title! *

* See the Full Year 2012 post here *

Whereas the German new car market had held remarkably well so far this year in a depressed European context, in December it drops by 16% year-on-year to 204,331 registrations, bringing the Full Year 2012 total to 3,082,504 units, down 3% on 2011. Disrupted by the transition between 6th and 7th generations, the VW Golf falls 35% year-on-year to just 10,666 sales and 5.2% share, its lowest monthly volume and market share in Germany for potentially 30 years, as the lowest Golf figures I had so far were 11,072 sales in February 2007 and 5.3% share in December 2003…

The VW Golf drops to its lowest level in potentially 30 years this month…

Reversely the BMW 1 Series is now in uncharted territory at home, up 6 spots on November to a best-ever 2nd place with 6,532 sales and 3.2%. This beats the 1 Series’ previous ranking record of #3 hit in in January 2009, it is also the model’s highest market share ever in the country but the monthly volume record remains 8,694 it reached in April 2008. This is the 6th time the 1 Series manages to rank within the German monthly Top 4 after November 2007 (#4), May 2008 (#4), January 2009 (#3), June 2012 (#4) and September 2012 (#4).

BMW 3 Series

For the first time in history, BMW places two models on the German podium with the 3 Series also in excellent shape, up 2 ranks on last month to #3 at 6,047 units and 3%, its second time on the podium this year after hitting #2 last April. BMW also has 3 cars in the Top 8 (more than any other brand!) with the 5 Series up 9 to #8. The Mercedes A-Class is up 7 to a shiny 6th place, its best ranking since the arrival of the new generation, as is the VW Tiguan to equal its best-ever ranking at #7, a level it also reached last January, March and July.

Hyundai i30

Exceptional performance of the Hyundai i30, up 28 spots to #16 with 3,166 sales and 1.5%, the highest ranking reached by a Korean model in Germany since the same i30 hit #13 in cash-for-clunkers-crazy February 2009. If we set apart the ‘half-foreign’ Skoda Fabia (#12), Skoda Octavia (#19) and Seat Ibiza (#24), the i30 is the only import in the Top 30, with the Renault Megane (#31), Nissan Qashqai (#32), Hyundai ix35 (#34) and Fiat 500 (#37) the next most popular.

Opel Cascada

Notice also the Toyota Aygo up 23 ranks to #38, the Hyundai i40 up 19 to a best-ever #42, the Skoda Citigo up 10 to break into the Top 50 for only the 2nd time with last September at #47, the Toyota Auris up 23 to #50, Ford B-Max up a shy 2 spots to #57, the Opel Mokka up 88 to #62 with 997 sales and the Subaru Forester up 46 to #68. The Opel Adam is down 8 ranks to #201 for its 2nd month in market and we welcome two all-new models in the ranking in December: the Cadillac ATS at #246 and 24 units and the Opel Cascada at #247 with 23 sales.

Full Year post: Germany Full Year 2012: Mercedes B-Class and VW Tiguan break records

Previous month: Germany November 2012: Ford Fiesta and Audi Q5 impress

One year ago: Germany December 2011: VW Up! already at #22

Full December 2012 Top 308 All-models and Top 50 All-brands Ranking Tables below.