Spain March 2022: Kia #1 for first time, Hyundai Tucson best-seller, Cupra Formentor #5, market sinks -30.2%

The Cupra Formentor is up to 5th place overall in Spain in March.

The Spanish new car market sinks -30.2% year-on-year in March to just 59,920 units and is down -51% on pre-pandemic March 2019. The year-to-date tally now stands at 164,399, down -11.6% over the same period in 2021 and -48% on 2019. Private sales drop -21.9% to 26,509 but are up 2.4% year-to-date to 77,974. Company fleet sales fall -16.3% to 26,696 for the month and -2.8% year-to-date to 74,284. Finally rental sales freefall -66.4% to 6,715 and -63.8% year-to-date to 12,141. The drop of rental sales is particularly noteworthy as it occurs close to Easter which is traditionally the time rental fleets are renewed. Canarias (+51.2%) and Baleares (+21%) are the only provinces with sales up year-on-year, just as Madrid is down -33.5% and Cataluña down -28.6%.

Kia (+20.9%) goes completely against the market and takes the lead of the brands ranking for the first time in Spanish history. It distances Hyundai (-15.9%) also gaining share year-on-year while Peugeot (-49.3%) falls apart at #3. Volkswagen (-17.9%) and Toyota (-26.8%) also beat the market to close the Top 5 just as Seat (-20%) falls back 5 spots on February to #6 and ranks #4 year-to-date. Mercedes (-27.5%) outpaces the market at #8 but Renault (-44.8%) and Audi (-33.3%) are in dire straits. Further down, Tesla (+216.8%), MG (+888.2%), Cupra (+80.5%), DS (+41.7%), Honda (+40.8%), Porsche (+20.8%) and Mazda (+13.2%) impress with significant gains.

We have a completely reshuffled models ranking this month: the Hyundai Tucson (+9.7%) leaps up 7 spots on February to land in pole position for the 2nd time in the past 4 months after December. It is now also #1 year-to-date. The Peugeot 208 (-41%) is down significantly year-on-year but up eight ranks on last month to #2 overall. The VW T-Roc (+28.4%) surges year-on-year and advances one spot on February to #3. But the event of the month is the Cupra Formentor (+113%) storming into the Top 5 at a world-best 5th place, outselling all Seat models. The Toyota C-HR (-9.6%) is down one rank to #6 but is #3 year-to-date. In the remainder of the Top 10, the Seat Arona (-11.8%) and Ateca (-11%) fare better than the market but the Peugeot 3008 (-42.1%) and Fiat 500 (-51%) take a dive.

Previous month: Spain February 2022: Seat and Arona back in charge in market up 6.6%

One year ago: Spain March 2021: Peugeot, Citroen top market up 128% but down -30% on two years ago

Full March 2022 Top 50 All-brands and Top 280 All-models below.