France August 2015: Renault and Clio reclaim control

The Renault Clio is back to pole position at home in France.

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Thanks to one additional selling day vs. August 2014, the French new car market is up 10% year-on-year this month to 92.052 registrations, lifting the year-to-date total to 1.256.670 units, up 6% on 2014. It is however prudent to remember that we are remaining at historically low level in France, this August score being the third weakest month in the past 15 years below just August 2013 (85.565) and August 2014 (83.340). Overtaken by Peugeot in July, Renault reclaims the brands pole position this month, but just: at 15.611 deliveries (+11%), its advantage is only 372 units vs. Peugeot at 15.239 (+14%). Renault’s share is frankly lower than its year-to-date level (17% vs. 19.6%), but Peugeot is closer (16.6% vs. 17.3%).

The Citroen C3 is up 53% to 4th place.

Citroen is up 18% to 10.083 and 11% to lift its year-to-date total into positive territory at 134.898 units (+2%). Following are Volkswagen (+13%), Dacia struggling at -16% and Toyota, down 13% but remaining on high ground at #6 and 4.4% share. Below Nissan (+18%), Audi surges 19% to 3.8% share, followed closely by BMW up a spectacular 29% to #10 and 3.5%. This score enables the Bavarian manufacturer to overtake Mercedes in the year-to-date ranking at 32.968 units (+15%) vs. 32.886 (+10%).

At #6, the VW Polo hadn’t ranked that high in 2015.

Overstepped by the Peugeot 208 last month in a rare event, the Renault Clio IV is back to the models pole position thanks to sales up 14% year-on-year to 5.200 while the Peugeot 208 is up 12% to 4.746. With the Peugeot 308 up 29%, the Citroen C3 up 53%, Renault Captur up 25% and VW Polo up 14%, the entire Top 6 gains more ground than the market in August, resulting in a slight consolidation at the top of the ranking (Top 5 = 21% vs. 19.8% and Top 10 = 33% vs. 32.6%.).

The VW Passat is up 73% to #30.

At #6, this is the VW Polo’s best monthly ranking so far in 2015 while at #7 it is the VW Golf ‘s first Top 10 ranking in France since September 2014 and best ranking since it hit a record 5th place exactly a year ago in August 2014. The Renault Twingo is back up 15 spots on a particularly weak July score, back inside the Top 10 at #10. The Toyota Yaris is up 3 ranks to an excellent 12th place, albeit not reiterating its record-breaking August 2014 score (#6). The Renault Kadjar gains one spot to #18, the Opel Mokka is up 25% to #22, Citroen C3 Picasso up 57% to #23, Mini up 39% to #26, VW Passat is up 73% to #30 and the BMW 1 Series up 34% to #33.

The BMW 2 Series Active Tourer shoots up to #36 in France this month.

Excellent performance of the BMW 2 Series Active Tourer, up 18 spots on July to smash its French record ranking at #36 with 705 sales and 0.8% share vs. #74 and 0.3% year-to-date. The Fiat 500X has stabilised around the #40 mark, the Nissan X-Trail is up a further two ranks to #45, the Skoda Fabia up 12 to #46 and the Renault Espace is down 14 but remains inside the Top 50 at #49 with sales up 220% on the previous model a year ago. Further down, notice the Suzuki Vitara up 10 spots to #85, the Mercedes GLE up 56 to #120, the Ford Mustang up 92 to #142, the Opel Karl up 14 to #153 and the Jaguar XE down 24 to #166. We welcome the Honda HR-V at #242 with 9 units.

Previous post: France 1-14 August 2015: Toyota Yaris up 29% in lifeless month

Previous month: France July 2015: Renault down to historically low 14.7% share

One year ago:France August 2014: Toyota Yaris hits highest ever Nippon ranking in worst month in 38 years

Full August 2015 Top 40 brands and Top 309 All-models below.