Netherlands June 2020: Opel Corsa up 5-fold to #1 in depressed market (-39.2%)

Opel Corsa sales are up 388.1% year-on-year in the Netherlands.

Whereas neighbours France (+1.2%), Belgium (-1.8%) and Luxembourg (-10.6%) have all spectacularly recovered from Covid-19 annihilation in June, the Dutch new car market is still in a deep rut at -39.2% year-on-year to 24.926 units, leading to a year-to-date tally down -30% to 158.155. This is so far the worst performance of any European market we have covered for June. Volkswagen (-26.7%) reclaims the brands top spot it holds year-to-date but once again Kia (+20.4%) is the hero of the month at #2 with the only double-digit year-on-year gain in the Top 15 leading to a H1 2020 volume in positive at 13.649 (+1.1%). Opel (-41.2%) falls faster than the market but climbs back up to #3 for the month and #4 YTD, distancing Peugeot (-36.8%), Ford (-34.6%) and a badly affected Renault (-53.4%). Skoda (-0.8%) and Hyundai (-10%) resist beautifully in the remainder of the Top 10, while further down Land Rover (+17.7%) and Fiat (+12.1%) post the only additional gains in market and MG advances to #25 with 0.6% share.

Over in the models ranking, the Opel Corsa (+388.1%) is up 5-fold on June 2019 and 11 spots on last month to easily secure the June pole position with 5.3% share, advancing to #6 and 2.1% year-to-date as a result (it ranked #42 in FY2019). This is the Corsa’s first Dutch Top 10 finish since September 2018 (#8) and first win since September 2016, however this extraordinary high volume is due to wholesales manipulations in the lead-up to a change in emissions measurements (see the detail in the comments of this article). The Kia Niro (+39.5%) drops to #2 but remains in the YTD lead, while the Ford Focus (-8.1%) is up 7 spots on last month to #3. Leader a year ago, the Tesla Model 3 (-71.2%) implodes to just 2.9% share at #5 while the Hyundai Kona (+47.3%), Volvo XC40 (+14.8%) and Kia Picanto (+3.1%) also go against the grain in the remainder of the Top 10 with splendid gains. The MG ZS (#45) tops recent launches above the Ford Puma (#50), Mazda CX-30 (#55), Kia Xceed (#57) and Skoda Kamiq (#58).

Previous month: Netherlands May 2020: Volume drop worsens to -59.4%, Kia places Niro and Picanto on top

One year ago: Netherlands June 2019: Tesla Model 3 reclaims lead, breaks records in market down -10.9%

Full June 2020 Top 45 All-brands and Top 245 All-models below.