Switzerland August 2019: Mercedes overtakes VW to #1 brand, Fiat 500 up to record #3

The Fiat 500 scores its first Swiss podium in August.

As is the case for most of the European Union his month, the Swiss new car market endures a -9.5% year-on-year fall in August to 19.437 sales as year-ago volumes were artificially propped up by pre-WLTP stock clearances. The year-to-date total is now down -1.3% to 202.091. For the third time in the past 20 months after February and September 2018, Mercedes (+4.6%) swims upstream and snaps the overall brands pole position off Volkswagen (-29.6%), this time for just 5 sales at 10% share vs. 9.9%. BMW (-12.6%) is down one spot on July to #3, while Toyota (+41.2%), Renault (+14.6%), Seat (+14.6%) and Hyundai (+1.2%) post the only additional year-on-year gains in the Top 20. Audi (-36.3%), Mini (-28.3%), Peugeot (-26.8%), Dacia (-25%) and Fiat (-23%) are hit particularly hard.

Model-wise, the Skoda Octavia (-2.2%) extends the gap with the next best-seller to over 200 units and one point of share at 3% vs. 1.9% for the #2, the VW Tiguan (-51.3%). The Fiat 500 (-16.8%) falls faster than the market but gains 7 spots on July to climb on the third step of the podium, a new record for this generation of the nameplate. The Mercedes GLC (-35.5%) and A-Class (+56.5%) round up the Top 5 above the Skoda Kodiaq (+146.8%) up 19 spots on last month to #6. The VW Golf (-20.8%) falls to #7, estimated to be the nameplate’s lowest ever ranking in Switzerland, also hit in August 2018. The Toyota RAV4 (+165.2%), Renault Megane (+72.7%), Skoda Karoq (+68.8%), Toyota Yaris (+24.1%) and BMW X3 (+13.5%) post fantastic scores in the remainder of the Top 20 while the Toyota Corolla (#27) and VW T-Cross (#28) lead new launches.

Previous post: Switzerland July 2019: Mercedes (+34.7%), Toyota (+39.2%) lift market up 0.1%

One year ago: Switzerland August 2018: VW Tiguan repeats at #1 in market down -7.2%

Full August 2019 Top 50 All-brands and Top 330 All-models below.