Germany February 2017: Audi snaps 10% share of falling market

Audi snaps 10% of the German new car market in February for only the second time this decade.

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German new car sales mark a pause in February at – 3% year-on-year to 243.602 registrations, yet thanks to a 5.5% improvement in January, the year-to-date tally is still in the black at +3.5% to 485.001 units. Market leader Volkswagen tumbles down 19% on an already weak February 2016 figure to 17.5% share vs. 19% year-to-date, and if last month Mercedes was the premium leader and crossed the 10% market share milestone for the third time in the past six months, this time it’s the turn of Audi. The Ingolstadt carmaker is up 4% to a round 10% share in February.

Alfa Romeo sales are up 83% thanks to the Giulia. 

This is only the second time Audi reaches a two-figure market share this decade – and potentially ever – along with January 2016. In the premium race, Audi comfortably distances Mercedes down 2% year-on-year at 8.9% while BMW sinks to #6 overall and 7.3% with deliveries down 9%, overtaken by mass-market Opel (-6%) and Ford (+1%). Year-to-date though, Mercedes remains above Audi for just 92 sales (46.137 vs. 46.045), both manufacturers commanding a 9.5% share of their home market.

Cadillac lodges the largest year-on-year improvement in market at +135% this month.

Renault lodges the largest year-on-year improvement in the Top 10 at +16% to 8.769 sales and 3.6% share. Further down Kia (+16%), Fiat (+18%), Toyota (+24%), Dacia (+30%) and Suzuki (+56%) are the best performers among the 20 most popular marques in Germany. As far as smaller brands are concerned, Jaguar (+36%), Ssangyong (+49%), Lada (+70%), Alfa Romeo (+83%), Maserati (+120%), Tesla (+122%) and Cadillac (+135%) make themselves noticed.

 The Audi Q2 leaps up to a record 35th place in February at home.

Over in the models ranking, the VW Golf falls flat at -22% but remains by far the best-selling vehicle in the country with 15.028 sales vs. 5.225 (-27%) for the VW Passat at #2 and 5.093 (+1%) for the VW Tiguan at #3, the latter having seemingly ended its new generation honeymoon period. The Opel Astra (-5%) and Skoda Octavia (-9%) round up the Top 5, knocking the VW Polo (-20%) down to #6. Illustrating its record February share, Audi places the A4 at #8 (+19%), the A3 at #9 (-19%), the A6 at #13 (+7%), the Q5 at #22 (+84%), the A1 at #36 (-22%), the Q3 at #38 (-30%) and the A5 at #45 (-27%). But the real winner is the Q2, slicing its record ranking in more than half from #80 last month to an all-time high #35 in February thanks tho 1.840 sales.

The Lada Vesta makes its entrance onto the German market this month. 

Inside the Top 50, the greatest performers include the Mercedes E-Class up 24%, the Nissan Qashqai up 25%, Renault Captur up 57% and Toyota Yaris up 60%. Among recent launches, let’s single out the Toyota C-HR up 19 spots on January to #88, the Suzuki Ignis up 30 to #108, the Skoda Kodiaq up 102 to #125, the Alfa Romeo Giulia up 36 to #154 and the Fiat Talento up 24 to #214. We welcome one newcomer in the German sales charts in February: the Lada Vesta landing at #241 with 54 sales.

Previous month: Germany January 2016: Mercedes above 10%, BMW X1 up to record #7

One year ago: Germany February 2016: Volkswagen continues to lose share

Full February 2017 Top 50 brands and Top 315 models below.