Spain July 2019: Dacia Sandero repeats at #1, Seat Arona on podium in market down -8.3%

The Dacia Sandero is the best-selling vehicle in Spain for the third time in 2019.

New car sales in Spain drop -8.3% year-on-year in July to 121.012 registrations, leading to a year-to-date tally down -3.8% to 836.352. However as it is the case in France, this is in fact a very strong showing for the Spanish market given July 2018 figures were artificially boosted by pre-WLTP discounted sales. To get a more realistic comparison, the July 2019 volume is up 9.5% on July 2017. Company sales resist best this month at -5.1% to 41.344 and 34.2% share vs. 33% a year ago, while private sales drop -9.8% to 61.269 and 50.6% vs. 51.5% and rental sales fall -10.3% to 18.399 and 15.2% vs. 15.5%. Year-to-date, only company sales manage a volume uptick at +3.3% to 259.892 and 31.1% share vs. 28.9% over the same period in 2018, rental sales resist well at -1.4% to 203.890 and 24.4% vs. 23.8% a year ago but private sales, considered by some as the true measure of a market’s health, freefall -9.4% to 411.371 and 44.5% share vs. 47.3% in 2018.

Brand-wise, local carmaker Seat (+18.6%) shows outstanding health to score a 4th consecutive month in pole position and nab the YTD top spot also. Peugeot (+19.6%) is also very strong in 2nd place but ends the month almost 2.000 sales lower than Seat which costs it the YTD pole position. Volkswagen (-29.1%) pays for an artificially boosted score a year ago but remains #3 above Citroen (+34.9%) and Opel (+36.7%) managing the two largest year-on-year gains in the Top 20, no less. Only Hyundai (+11.4%) and Dacia (+4.1%) are in positive in the remainder of the Top 10 with Renault (-44.9%) and Ford (-19.8%) freefalling and Toyota (-8.3%) matching the market. Further down, Cupra (+1966.7%), Tesla (+807.1%), Suzuki (+93.3%), DS (+36.3%), Mercedes (+13.8%) and Honda (+12.9%) shine but Alfa Romeo (-69.7%), Subaru (-53%), Nissan (-37.9%), Audi (-36.9%) and Fiat (-25.4%) implode.

In the models ranking, the Dacia Sandero (+26.8%) brilliantly repeats in first place, its 12th monthly win in Spain overall, cementing its #2 spot YTD below the Seat Leon (+13.4%) up one spot on June to #2. The Seat Arona (+81%) scores a second consecutive – and ever – podium finish at home at #3, overtaking its muse the Seat Ibiza (-26.1%) in the YTD order thanks to a record 1.156 unit-advantage for the month. The Opel Corsa (+153.3%), likely boosted by end-of-generation discounts, Citroen C3 (+40.6%), Hyundai Tucson (+19.9%) and Fiat 500 (+19.3%) shine whereas the Nissan Qashqai (-32.8%) and Renault Clio (-32.6%) sink. Among recent launches, the Toyota Corolla is up 8 spots on last month to #11, a record for this generation, the Peugeot Rifter up 10 to #18, also a new all-time high, the Citroen C5 Aircross is up 13 to #44 and the VW T-Cross up 6 to #59.

Previous month: Spain June 2019: Seat (+8.9%), Peugeot (+9.7%) resist, Arona up to record #2 in 9th market drop in past 10 months (-5.8%)

One year ago: Spain July 2018: Renault, Volkswagen and Nissan Qashqai triumph

Full July 2019 Top 50 All-brands and Top 290 All-models below.