Germany First Half 2019: Diesel (+3%), BMW (+7.4%), Ford (+5.7%) pull market up 0.5% to best result since 2000

The new X3 (+96.8%) helps BMW up 7.4% so far in 2019.

New car sales in Germany edge up 0.5% year-on-year over the First Half of 2019 to a round 1.849.000 units, the largest H1 tally in Germany since 2000. Business fleets gain 3.3% to 1.179.662 units and 63.8% share vs. 62.1% a year ago, meaning private sales are weaker so far this year at -4% to 669.338 and 36.2% share vs. 37.9% in H1 2018 and 34.6% in H1 2017. Despite a -6% year-on-year decline, compact cars remains the most popular segment by the skin of their teeth at 20.8% share whereas SUVs soar 15.3% to 20.3% of the German market halfway through 2019. Surprisingly and going against a Europe-wide trend, diesel sales are up 3% to 608.753 and 32.9% share vs. 32.1% a year ago and petrol sales drop -5.4% to 1.098.029 and 59.4% share vs. 63.1% over H1 2018. Hybrids soar 69.1% to 102.995 and 5.6% share vs. 3.3% and EVs are up 80.2% to 31.059 and 1.7% vs. 0.9% in 2018.

The Ecosport (+64.2%) enables Ford to gain 5.7% in 2019.

The German brands ranking is impossibly stable with the Top 16 best-sellers remaining unchanged on H1 2018! All carmakers on the podium  all lose share year-on-year however, with Volkswagen (-4.8%) the hardest hit followed by Audi (-1.9%) and Mercedes (-0.9%). Ford (+5.7%) is enjoying a revival of sorts at #4 ahead of BMW (+7.4%) snapping the title of most dynamic brand in the Top 8. Below Opel (-0.9%), Skoda (+0.5%) and Renault (+0.03%) all almost immobile, Seat (+11%) and Hyundai (+5.3%) round up the Top 10 in very positive fashion. Tesla (+395.1%), Alpine (+298.3%), Lamborghini (+65%), Volvo (+33%), Lexus (+32%), Smart (+15%), Citroen (+12.9%) and Mitsubishi (+12%) make waves further down, whereas in contrast Infiniti (-59.3%), Alfa Romeo (-38.6%), Maserati (-38.3%), Honda (-35.3%), DS (-33.1%), Nissan (-32.9%) and Porsche (-21.6%) all implode.

The XC40 is now Volvo’s best-seller in Germany, pulling the brand up 33%.

Model-wise, the VW Golf (-10.3%) endures a harsh double-digit drop that has little chance of improving by the time 2019 comes to an end as the new generation likely won’t be available by then. It is however easily headed towards a 39th consecutive annual win, still selling more than double any other nameplate in the country. Monopolising the Top 4 a year ago and over the FY2018, Volkswagen can “only” manage a podium this year with the Tiguan (+0.8%) at #2 again and the Polo (-8.5%) up to #3 despite a hefty loss, simply taking advantage of a Passat (-20%) whose generation is now at the end of its life. But all is not lost and the new T-Roc (+85.4%) has finally found its groove at home, signing a record #4 in June and less than 1,000 units from also snapping this spot YTD, a feat it could achieve by year-end.

The new UX already accounts for 41% of deliveries at Lexus (+32%).

For now, the Mercedes C-Class (+3.2%) and Ford Focus (0.1%) round out the Top 5. The rest of the Top 10 (Octavia, Passat, A4 and A3) is down significantly. Below, the BMW X3 (+96.8%), Ford Ecosport (+64.2%), Skoda Karoq (+54.3%), Mercedes A-Class (+52%), Opel Adam (+47.2%), Audi Q3 (+46.7%), Seat Ateca (+40.9%), Hyundai i30 (+26.4%), Seat Arona (+21.9%), Skoda Superb (+21.6%) and Audi A6 (+19.6%) deliver the most impressive gains in the remainder of the Top 50. The Tesla Model 3 (#102) is the best-selling new launch over the period, just above the VW T-Cross (#103), with the Seat Tarraco (#118), Peugeot Rifter (#130), Audi Q8 (#139) and Citroen C5 Aircross (#141) in tow.

The VW T-Roc is up to #3 with German private buyers, above the Tiguan.

In the private sales ranking, Volkswagen manages to monopolise the Top 4 which it didn’t do a year ago with the Golf (-26.7%) in even more of a predicament than in the general sales, followed by the Polo (-14.7%), but the T-Roc (+63.5%) brilliantly outpaces the Tiguan (-27.4%) to become the country’s most popular SUV with private buyers. The Fiat Ducato (+10.8%) leaps up to #1 foreigner at #5 just above the Dacia Sandero (-0.7%) and Duster (+8%) both fitting within the Top 7. The BMW X1 (+43.2%) breaks into the Top 10, while below the Ford Focus (+53.2%), Mercedes A-Class (+48.3%), Skoda Karoq (+43.8%), Mitsubishi Space Star (+44.2%), Ford Ecosport (+60%) and Seat Ateca (+40.4%) all post fantastic scores inside the Top 20. The Tesla Model 3 is the most successful new launch with German private buyers, landing at #60 well above the VW T-Cross (#80).

Previous post: Germany June 2019: VW T-Roc up to record #4, Ford Focus up 42.9% in market down -4.7%

One year ago: Germany First Half 2018: VW Tiguan #2, VW Group monopolises Top 6

Full H1 2019 Top 50 brands, Top 355 All-models and Top 50 private sales vs. Full H1 2018 figures below.