France July 2017: Peugeot 3008 on podium for the first time

First ever podium ranking for the Peugeot 3008 nameplate at home. 

* NOW UPDATED with Top 40 best-selling brands, Top 270 models and Top 10 private sales – click on title to see *

For the third consecutive month, the growth of the French new car market (+10.9% in July to 147.514 registrations) is spread relatively evenly across distribution channels. Private sales are up 11.1% to 75.423 units and are back above the symbolic 50% share mark at 51.1%. Company sales (including long-term rentals) also beat the market at +12.7% to 36.230 units, and demo sales are up 15.4% but stock sales are down 17%. The year-to-date total is now up 3.8% to 1.282.860 units. As it has become ethnic routine, given Renault loads up its end of quarters (March, June, September and December), itfalls to 2nd place in July despite gaining 18.2% to 16.3% share vs. 19.9% YTD. Peugeot (+12.6%) is in the lead at 18% share and Citroen (+17.9%) holds onto the third spot at 10.5% share. Note all three French manufacturers see even larger private sales gains: Renault is up 34% to 11.607 through this channel, Peugeot up 16.7% to 11.593 and Citroen up 13.3% to 7.185. Overall, 49.1% of Renault sales are private this month, with this ratio dropping to 46.2% for Citroen and 43.6% for Peugeot. Peugeot is the most generous to long-term leases (14.5% of its sales), with Renault at 7.9% and Citroen 8.5%. Finally when it comes to business sales, Renault gives them 21.% of its sales vs. 16.7% for Peugeot and 15.7% for Citroen.

Volkswagen sales are up 13.4% year-on-year in July. 

Among foreign manufacturers, Volkswagen impresses at +13.4% but remains down 3.4% YTD, with Toyota (+22.7%), Nissan (+19.7%), Opel (+19.4%), Kia (+24.5%), Seat (+13.8%), Suzuki (+25.6%) and Skoda (+18.3%) all posting double-digit gains inside the Top 20. Further down, Alfa Romeo (+72%), Porsche (+66.1%), Smart (+38.8%) and Lexus (+21.2%) also shine. Looking at sales by channel, 27.3% of Nissan sales are demo sales this month (new Micra and facelifted Qashqai), for Opel this ratio is 23.4% due to the start of the Crossland X and for Volvo it is 22.5% due to the XC60. Fiat, up 7.3% to #9 overall, only has a 39.4% private sales ratio and 24.9% are demo sales in July. Audi (#7) is by far the most popular premium brand in France this month with sales up 6.9%, distancing Mercedes (#10) up 0.4% and BMW (#13) down 12.2%. Only 37.8% of BMW sold this month are private sales vs. 46.5% for Mercedes and 49.2% for Audi. 20% of Mercedes sales are demo sales vs. 14.9% for BMW and 12.5% for Audi.

The Dacia Sandero remains #1 with private buyers in July. 

Over in the models ranking, the Renault Clio soars 28.5% to 7.065 registrations and 4.8% share, reclaiming the July pole position off the Peugeot 208 down 1.3% to 6.571 units and 4.4% share. But the big news come from the Peugeot 3008: ranked #1 halfway though the month, Peugeot’s new best-selling SUV breaks all records in July. It climbs to a best-ever third position – the first time the 3008 is on the podium at home – beating both this generation’s previous best (#4 in January and in June) and the last one’s (#4 in March 2013). At 6.139 sales, the 3008 even teases the 208 for 2nd place and hits 4.2% market share, an all-time high for both generations. It kills two birds with one stone this month by snapping the #3 spots YTD as well, overtaking all at once the 2008, 308 and Captur.

The Stelvio is Alfa Romeo’s best-seller in France this month. 

The 3008 is #1 in the company sales channel at 2.841 or 46% of its July sales above the Renault Clio (2.001). It ranks 8th with private buyers (3.325 or 38% of its sales), a channel still controlled by the Dacia Sandero (4.077). As a result the Renault Kadjar freefalls 31%, plus the larger 5008 is also headed towards solid success, at #17 this month with 2.219 sales, 48% for companies and 29% for private buyers. All-in-all, Peugeot SUVs represent 8.7% of the French market this month, when accounting for the 2008 (4.465). Further down the ranking, notice also the Ford Kuga up 84% to #27, the Kia Sportage up 50% to #33, the Nissan Micra up 95% to #40 thanks to the new model, the Mercedes GLA up 93% to #42 and the Renault Zoe up 69% to #43. Among recent launches, the Opel Crossland is up 27 spots to break into the Top 100 at #82, the Alfa Romeo Stevio is up 42 ranks to #109, becoming the brand’s best-seller in France and the Jeep Compass reappears at #139 with the new generation. We also welcome the Range Rover Velar at #170.

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Full July 2017 Top 40 brands, Top 270 models and Top 10 private sales below.