France June 2016: Renault’s half year run pulls market up 0.8%

The Renault Mégane IV breaks into its home Top 5 for the first time in June.

* Now updated with the Top 45 brands and Top 275 models – click on title to see *

After surging 22% in May, the French new car market returns to greyer improvement rates at just +0.8% in June to 227.366 registrations while the year-to-date total halfway through the year is still up by a vigorous 8% to 1.102.442 units. Worryingly, private sales freefall down 8% in June to 100.502, now accounting for a record-low 44% of the market. French new car sales owe their positive stance in June solely to long-term rentals (i.e. leasing) up 15% to 19.652 with business sales up 4% to 28.276 and short-term rentals up 3% to 26.704. As it has become customary, Renault loads up its score sheet to the brim with demo and garage sales before the end of the half-year mark, even outpacing the market at +7% to 57.121 units, including 12.379 demo cars (+35%). According to Renault France’s Philippe Buros, quoted by Autoactu.com, Renault posts its biggest month since 1999 when including LCV sales.

Hyundai is up 33% in June in France.

At 25.1% share in the passenger car market, Renault is almost ten percentage points above archenemy Peugeot, in difficulty at -4% to 15.9% share, as is sister-brand Citroen down 7% to 9.9% and Volkswagen down a harsh 14% to 6.3%. However PSA Peugeot-Citroen announced on July 1 that a computer glitch has delayed the processing of 2.000 new car sales in June into July, denting the group’s performance this year. Dacia for its part also shows implacable shine with volumes up 8% to 12.519 and 5.5% share. The rest of the Top 10 sees declines by Ford, Toyota, Opel and Nissan whereas Fiat gains 10% to #8. BMW takes the lead of the luxury race thanks to deliveries up 10% to 6.289, overtaking Audi at 5.924 (-7%) and Mercedes at 5.440 (+9%). Kia (+18%), Hyundai (+33%) and Mini (+21%) all take off.

The Renault Clio posts the largest month for any nameplate in France since September 2011.

Model-wise, it’s a proper Renault tsunami in the ranking. In pole position, the Clio is up 7% to 14.841 sales and 6.5% share. This is the Clio IV’s biggest month ever and the largest monthly volume of any nameplate in France in almost 5 years, since September 2011 when the Clio III sold 15.707 units. This month, the Clio is over two percentage points of market share above any other nameplate sold on the market, increasing its year-to-date advantage over the Peugeot 208 to 8.150 units at 62.206 (+3%) vs. 54.056 (+16%). Despite declining sales (-14%), the Captur manages to snap the #2 spot for only the third time ever after June 2014 and June 2015.

The Renault Talisman leads its segment in May above the Peugeot 508 and VW Passat. 

The Renault Mégane IV breaks into the Top 5 for the first time at #5 and 7.724 sales, now challenging the Peugeot 308 (8.125) for the compact segment leadership. Thanks to sales up 69% on June 2015 – when it was still gearing up – to a record 5.877 and 2.6% share, the Renault Kadjar returns inside the Top 10 (#9) for the 4th time in the past 8 months. Finally, the Talisman is up 10 spots on May to land at a best-ever #25 with 1.975 sales, for the first time topping its segment above its main competitor at home: the Peugeot 508 (1.938). In other models news, the Dacia Sandero is up 11% to #7 but manages a third consecutive month at #1 with private buyers, earning the H1 2016 pole position for the first time as we will detail in a separate update. The VW Polo is down 24% to #14 and the only foreigner in the Top 15 and the VW Tiguan is up to #31 thanks to the new generation.

The Maserati Levante makes its first appearance in the French charts in June. 

Further down, the Infiniti Q30 is up 48 spots on May to #117 with 351 sales, the Jaguar F-Pace is up 11 to #142, the Citroen C-Elysée up 22 to #153, the Fiat 124 Spider soars to #164 with 149 units sold, the Alfa Romeo Giulia is up 62 ranks to #186 with 107 sales and the Kia Niro is up 55 to #213. We welcome four new nameplates in the French charts in June: the Ford Edge at #158, Infiniti QX30 at #237, Maserati Levante at #251 and Ssangyong XLV at #269.

Previous month: France May 2016: Market up 22%, Dacia #3 brand with private buyers

One year ago: France June 2015: Renault Kadjar, Captur and Espace fuel up

Full June 2016 Top 45 brands and Top 275 models below.