Poland August 2018: Pre-WLTP rush lifts market up 58%, Seat up to #8

Clearance of non WLTP-compliant stock boosts the Seat Leon up 448% to #4 in Poland.

* See the Top 15 brands and Top 50 models by clicking on the title *

Poland is another European Union market to be completely biased by artificial sales aimed at clearing stock ahead of the adoption of a new, stricter emissions standards called WLTP. Non-compliant cars aren’t able to be sold after September 1, so carmakers with large stocks of such models had to get rid of them by any means (demo sales, self-registrations, short-term rentals, discounted retail sales, etc). As a result the Polish market soars 57.9% year-on-year in August to 61.913 units, lifting the year-to-date tally up 17.3% to a new record 419.381 sales. Volkswagen (+80%) and Toyota (+96%) vastly outpace the market in the brands lead, overtaking YTD leader Skoda (+30%) with Opel (+29%) and Renault (+51%) rounding out the Top 5. Seat soars to a record 8th place whereas it doesn’t rank in the YTD Top 15 while Citroen (+124%),  and Nissan (+110%) also post extravagant gains. The Skoda Octavia (+64%) is undisturbed, cementing the models pole position it holds YTD. Nameplates benefiting from a last minute pre-WLTP rush include the Toyota Auris up 220% to #2, the Seat Leon up 448% to #4, Nissan Qashqai up 251% to #7, Toyota Avensis up 221% to #9, as well as the Citroen C3 (+168%), Seat Ibiza (+155%), Hyundai i30 (+130%), Toyota RAV4 (+120%) and Renault Megane (+106%).

Previous month: Poland July 2018: Fiat Tipo hits record 4th place, market up 24.8%

One year ago: Poland August 2017: Fiat Tipo now established in Top 10

Full August 2018 Top 15 brands and Top 50 models below.