Germany July 2017: Mercedes at highest share this decade, VW at -13%

Mercedes surges 18% to 10.6% market share at home in July. 

* See the Top 48 All-brands and Top 328 All-models by clicking on the title *

The German new car market edges up by a meagre 1.5% year-on-year in July to 283.080 registrations, leading to the year-to-date tally up 2.8% to 2.070.106 units. Market leader Volkswagen however plunges 13% to 17.5% share, one percentage point below its YTD level. The hero of the month is once again Mercedes, surging 18% on July 2016 to 10.6% market share. This is the fourth time Mercedes crosses the symbolic 10% market share milestone in the past 12 months (10.1% in January 2017, 10.3% in November 2016 and 10.1% in August 2016) but also this decade according to BSCB files. Mercedes may have reached higher market shares when the Mercedes Strich 8 topped the annual ranking in 1974 and when the Mercedes W123 did so in 1980, but it is reasonable to state that Mercedes is enjoying its highest market shares in 40 years at home…

The last time Mercedes may have enjoyed higher market shares at home was in the early eighties.

Audi (+0.3%) remains in third place while BMW (+7%) is back up one spot to the 4th place it holds YTD. Ford (-6%) and Opel (+3%) follow ahead of Skoda (-1%), Renault (+11%) and Seat (+10%) being the only other manufacturers enjoying a double-digit year-on-year gain in the Top 10. In the Top 20, Toyota (+11%), Citroen (+13%), Dacia (+17%), Kia (+19%), Peugeot (+23%) and Mitsubishi (+54%) do the same, while among smaller brands Land Rover (+28%), Lamborghini (+52%), Aston Martin (+64%), Alfa Romeo (+76%), Tesla (+102%), Bentley (+106%) and Cadillac (+210%) are among the most dynamic.

The Mercedes E-Class is up 52% in July.

The VW Golf remains of course in the models’ pole position but drops a heavy 11% to 5.8% share. If Volkswagen still monopolises the YTD Top 4, it is far from being the case this month: the Passat is down 18% to #3, the Polo down 12% to #5 and the new gen Tiguan’s honeymoon period has now ended: it is down 22% to #9 in July. For its part, Mercedes justifies its historical performance by placing the C-Class (+21%) in 2nd place overall, the E-Class up 52% to #8 and the GLC up 60% to #19, the nameplate’s first time inside the German Top 20. Audi also shines, placing the A4 (-12%) at #4 and the A3 (+7%) at #6. The BMW 5 Series continues to be boosted by the new generation: up 73% to #10. Other great performers include the Opel Mokka (+60%), the Renault Captur (+84% and best-selling foreigner if we consider Skoda and Seat to be German), the Dacia Sandero up 29% and the Mitsubishi Space Star up 138%. The Audi Q2 (#48) leads recent launches above the Toyota C-HR (#73), Opel Crossland X (#82) and Skoda Kodiaq (#90).

Previous post: Germany First Half 2017: Mercedes up, Volkswagen down but trusts Top 4

Previous month: Germany June 2017: Renault and Seat shine in market down 3.5%

One year ago: Germany July 2016: Audi A4 and VW Tiguan step up

Full July 2017 Top 48 All-brands and Top 328 All-models below.