France June 2019: Renault Clio V just misses out on first Top 10, Twingo at highest in 8 years in market down -8.4%

The Renault Clio V ranks #11 at home in June. Picture largus.fr.

This article has been updated with the Top 40 brands, Top 270 models and Top 10 private sales.

New car sales in France skid down -8.4% year-on-year in June to 230.965 units (the third highest June result below 2018 and 1998), over a particularly high comparison in June 2018 which remains a June record, the largest month this decade and third largest overall in history. The number of selling days also didn’t help at 19 vs. 21 and local body the CCFA insists that the selling rate is actually up 1.2% year-on-year. Private sales continue to freefall at just 43.3% share, company sales hold 21% of total sales and dealership demo sales hit a record 19.6% in June, revealing a very unhealthy French market indeed.

As it has been the case for the most part of the past decade, Renault (-13.2%) only needs an artificially boosted end-of-quarter at 22.4% share to remain in the brands lead at home even though Peugeot (-14.7%), down to 15.8% in June, topped the monthly charts 3 times out of 6. Renault also returns to #1 brand with private buyers at 15.5% share above Peugeot (14.2%) after falling to a paltry 4th place last month, and is ultra-dominant in the company sales channel at a whopping 34.6% share above Peugeot at 19.9%.

The Renault Twingo is pushed up to #4 by its facelift.

All recoveries come to an end: for the first time in over a year (since May 2018), Citroen (-6.3%) is down year-on-year, tilting below the symbolic 10% share mark. Volkswagen (+0.5%) nudges past Dacia (-7.4%) to #4, with Audi (+17.5%) and Mercedes (+13.1%) both posting splendid scores at the tail end of the Top 10 just as Ford (+8%) and Toyota (+5.4%) are also very solid but Fiat (-17%) sinks. Further down, Tesla (+642.2%), Alpine (+98.3%), Lexus (+19.3%), DS (+12.6%), Mitsubishi (+12.5%), Seat (+12.3%) and Porsche (+11%) shine but Nissan (-37.9%), Smart (-29.3%), BMW (-26.5%), Mini (-21.6%) and Opel (-14.5%) freefall.

The VW T-Cross breaks into the Top 30…

In the models ranking, we continue to witness the transition between two generations of Renault Clio, with the Peugeot 208 II about to make its appearance in the French charts. As a result and for the 2nd month running the Peugeot 208 I (-12.2%) is the best-selling vehicle at home, this time distancing the Renault Captur (-8.6%) up to #2 for the first time since December 2017 and the Renault Clio IV (-48.7%) now bowing out. The Renault Twingo (+32.1%) takes full advantage of its facelift and hits its first Top 5 finish in over 4 years (since ranking #5 in February 2015) and its highest ranking for the 3rd generation at #4. As for the Twingo nameplate overall, the last time it ranked as high was in December 2011. All remaining Top 10 models are in decline, with the Dacia Duster (-0.6%) and Sandero (-7.2%) resisting best but the Citroen C3 (-20.4%), Peugeot 3008 (-17.5%), 2008 (-17.3%) and Renault Megane (-12%) the hardest hit.

…and the DS 3 Crossback breaks into the Top 40.

As for new launches, the Renault Clio V amps up the pressure, up 4 spots on May to end June just 71 sales from a first Top 10 finish. After promisingly breaking into the Top 10 in April, the Citroen C5 Aircross continues to slide down the charts at #18, whereas the VW T-Cross shoots up 34 spots on last month to break into the Top 50 and Top 30 at once to #30. Two additional new launches crack the French Top 50 for the first time this month: the DS 3 Crossback is up 21 ranks on May to #38 and the Toyota Corolla up 27 to #45. As for the Tesla Model 3, it slices its May ranking in two from #111 to #56 in June, but can’t quite match the #42 it hit last March. Other notable evolutions include the Mercedes A-Class (+222.3%), Peugeot 508 (+205.1%), Ford Focus (+159.3%), Audi Q3 (+136.3%), Volvo XC40 (+106.5%), Jeep Renegade (+105.4%), Fiat 500X (+50.1%), Toyota RAV4 (+41.3%) and Hyundai Kona (+41.1%). In the private sales channel, the Dacia Sandero (-5.9%) reigns supreme at 5.9% share ahead of the Peugeot 208 (-4%), Renault Clio IV/V (-2.1%), Twingo, Citroen C3 (-16.7%) and Renault Captur (-16.9%) with the Toyota Yaris (-1.2%) #1 foreigner at #8.

Previous month: France May 2019: Citroen (+23.1%) continues recovery, Renault Clio 5 arrival reshuffles models and private sales order, market up 1.2%

One year ago: France June 2018: Renault, Dacia, Fiat lift market to third largest monthly volume in history

Full June 2019 Top 40 brands, Top 270 models and Top 10 private sales below.