Spain October 2019: Dacia Sandero reclaims lead, Kia Xceed shines in market up 8.4%

The Kia Xceed breaks into the Spanish Top 50 in October.

The Spanish new car market gains 8.4% year-on-year in October to 97.986 units, the largest result for the month in exactly 10 years – since the 98.512 units of October 2009. The year-to-date tally is now down -3.7% to 1.096.461, the 2nd largest in the past 12 years below just last year (1.139.024). This month’s uptick is almost exclusively due to company sales soaring 31.5% to 40.015 units and 40.8% share vs. 33.7% in September 2018. Meanwhile rental sales are up 10.5% to a tiny 5.534 and 5.6% vs. 5.5% but private sales struggle at -4.5% to 52.437 and 53.5% share vs. 60.8%. Year-to-date private sales are also in dire straits at -9.4% to 512.530 and 46.7% vs. 49.7% over the same period in 2018, while rental sales are also in negative at -0.7% to 219.248 and 20% vs. 19.4% and company sales gain 3.4% to 364.683 and 33.3% vs. 31%.

Strikingly, 5 of the Top 6 best-selling brands beat the market, starting with Peugeot (+9.4%) holding onto the top spot, followed by Seat (+11.8%) and Volkswagen (+30.2%) with the October podium identical to YTD. Citroen (+12.5%) also shines at #4 and Kia (+20.8%) reaches its highest ranking in one year at #6. No other Top 10 brand outpace the market, with Opel (-9.6%) even lodging a loss. Below, Porsche (+387.3%), Mini (+83.3%), Audi (+78.6%), Land Rover (+77.8%), Alfa Romeo (+55.4%), Abarth (+43.4%), Mazda (+38%), Lexus (+36.9%), DS (+32.3%), Honda (+25.1%) and Skoda (+17%) stand out.

In the models ranking, the Dacia Sandero (+8.9%) is up 6 spots on September to reclaim the pole position for the 4th time in the past 5 months and the 5th time this year (add January), yet this is still not enough to bypass the Seat Leon (+20.6%) in the YTD ranking, with 1.596 units separating the two nameplates after 10 months. The Nissan Qashqai (+27.4%) rounds up the podium as it does YTD, follows by the Peugeot 2008 (+2.5%) up 13 ranks on last month and Peugeot 3008 (+0.4%) up 3 while the VW Golf (+61.3%) is down two to #6. The new Toyota Corolla is up 5 spots on September to #7, a new record ranking for this generation.

The Seat Arona (#8) confirms it now sells better than the Ibiza (#11) on which it is based just as the Peugeot Rifter (+236.9%), Citroen Berlingo (+87.9%), VW T-Roc (+60.9%), Ford Kuga (+51.8%), Renault Megane (+37.5%), Kia Sportage (+24.4%) and Hyundai Tucson (+24%) score the largest gains in the remainder of the Top 20. The Kia Xceed is up 56 ranks on last month to break into the Spanish Top 50 for the first time at #40 while the Mazda CX-30 is up 24 to break into the Top 100 at #89.

Previous month: Spain September 2019: Peugeot and Renault Clio top market artificially up (+20.7%)

One year go: Spain October 2018: Peugeot, Dacia Sandero, Seat Arona shine in market down -5%

Full October 2019 Top 50 All-brands and Top 280 All-models below.