Spain May 2021: Seat Arona repeats at #1 in market down -24% on two years ago

The Seat Arona is now #1 year-to-date in Spain.

The Spanish new car market rises 177.8% year-on-year in May to 95.403 units, lifting the year-to-date tally up 40% to 360.057 units, reflecting lockdown volumes in May 2020. Private sales significantly trail the market at +79.4% and 33.234 units as do company sales up 130.5% to 31.069 but as the State of Emergency is lifted and tourism starts again, rental sales soar 1233.6% to 31.100. Year-to-date, private sales are up 17.6% to 138.725, company sales up 48.3% to 136.416 and rental sales up 79.6% to 84.916. However a more realistic comparison set is May 2019, and this time the market falls a steep -24% for the month and -36% year-to-date, private sales implode -39% and rental sales fare better at -8.7%.

All evolutions below are vs. May 2019. In the brands ranking, homegrown carmaker Seat (-6.3%) resists much better than the market and pushes up to 11.4% share, also snapping the year-to-date lead in the process with 9.6% of its home market. Volkswagen (-2.9%) and Toyota (-17.9%) also fare relatively well on the podium, knocking Peugeot (-43.7%) down to #4. Outstanding performance by Kia (+16.9%) up to 5th place and Hyundai (+1.6%) up to #6. Audi (-21.7%) is the only remaining Top 10 brand to beat the market while Renault (-37.9%), Citroen (-31.9%) and Mercedes (-25.3%) all plunge. Further down, Cupra (+2156.4%) hits an all-time share record at 1.8% of the market, with Volvo (+26.1%), Skoda (+21.9%), DS (+11.2%) and Suzuki (+3.6%) the only gainers in the remainder of the Top 30.

Model-wise, the Seat Arona (+57.9%) takes full advantage of its facelift to score a second consecutive (and ever) win at a flamboyant 3.8% share vs. 2.7% for the #2, the Ibiza (-8.3%). This frank domination propels the Arona to the year-to-date lead with 2.8% share vs. 2.3% for the Citroen C3 (+22.5%) in 2nd place so far this year. The Leon (-38.8%) is back up 8 spots on April to make it three Seats in the Top 4 at #4. Three additional models post significant gains in the Top 10: the VW T-Cross (+128.7%) at #6, the Hyundai Tucson (+51.4%) at #7 and the VW T-Roc (+32.1%) at #5. Notice also the Seat Ateca (+1.1%), Hyundai Kona (+48.7%) and Kia Stonic (+56.5%) in fine shape below. The Cupra Formentor smashes its ranking record to #15 vs. a previous best of #24 last January.

Previous month: Spain April 2021: Seat Arona delivers first ever win in market down -34.2% on two years ago

One year ago: Spain May 2020: Dacia Sandero #1, Audi A1 #3 in market imploding -72.7% despite easing lockdown

Full May 2021 Top 50 All-brands and Top 285 All-models below.