Germany Full Year 2022: Last minute surge tilts market into positive (+1.1%), VW Golf challenged again

The VW Golf remains the best-seller in Germany but was challenged again this year.

Discover 90 years worth of German Historical data here.

Thanks to sales bouncing back up 38.1% year-on-year in December to 314,318, the German new car market edges into positive at the last minute in 2022 at +1.1% to 2,651,357. This is still the 2nd lowest annual volume in 37 years (since the 2,379,261 units of 1985). Volkswagen (-1.8%) slips down to 18.1% share and easily stays in pole position above Mercedes up a solid 8.3%. Audi (+17.3%) does even better and overtakes BMW (-5.7%) to #3. Opel (-10.7%) remains in 5th place ahead of Skoda (-3.9%) and Ford (+3.9%). Hyundai (-1.5%) and Renault (-24.6%) also camp on their 2021 ranking at #8 and #9 respectively. Toyota (+9%) is up two spots on last year to break into the Top 10 at #10. Below, Kia is up a strong 15.6%, Tesla soars 76.2% and ranked #5 overall in December and Cupra (+148.2%) outsold sister brand Seat during the last three months of the year. MG (+384.2%) also impresses and ranked #20 in December. We have four newcomers in the ranking, all Chinese: Lynk & Co at #32 but #24 in December, NIO (#46), LEVC (#52) and GWM (#54).

The Tesla Model Y topped the German charts outright in September.

Over in the models aisle, the VW Golf (-8%) signs a 42nd annual victory and 47th win in the past 48 years (every year since 1975 apart from 1980 won by the Mercedes W123) to be compared with “only” 29 wins for the VW Beetle (from 1946 to 1973). However this was another tumultuous year for the Golf. First it hit its lowest ever annual share at 3.2%. Then it was toppled from the top spot three times, like in 2021 but then it was impacted by the microchip crisis, whereas 2022 returned back to normal. The Golf is therefore now challenged for the first place at home even in normal conditions. It ranked #2 in August (VW T-Roc) and September (Tesla Model Y) but #7 in December, outsold by the Tesla Model 3, Fiat 500, Tesla Model Y, Ford Kuga, VW ID.4/ID.5 and VW ID.3… Yet it maintains a healthy 25,000 unit advantage over the #2, the VW Tiguan (+6.5%) overtaking the VW T-Roc (+2.6%). This means that for the 8th time in the past 9 years, the German annual podium is 100% Volkswagen.

The Fiat 500 was up to #2 in November and December.

The Fiat 500 lineup surges 46.2% year-on-year and 7 spots on 2021 to land at a record 4th place overall, even ranking #2 in November and December. It dislodges the Opel Corsa (+1.4%) down one rank to #5 while the Mini lineup (-6.5%) passes the VW Passat (-14.1%) to #6. The Ford Kuga (+32.2%) is up 11 spots to #8 ahead of the BMW 3 Series (-13.1%) at #9. The Tesla Model Y (+705.1%) ends its first full year in market inside the Top 10 at #10 while the Tesla Model 3 (-4%) remains at #12. The Cupra Formentor (+85.4%), Toyota Yaris/ Cross (+59.2%), Mercedes C-Class (+47.8%), Audi A3 (+23%) and Q3 (+18.8%) also shine in the remainder of the Top 20. The Dacia Jogger (#96) is the most popular 2022 launch above the Lynk & Co 01 (#114).

Previous year: Germany 2021: Market down -10.1% to lowest in 36 years, VW Golf leads above T-Roc despite late year debacle

Two years ago: Germany 2020: Sales down -19.1% to weakest in a decade, VW Golf leads but drops -33.4%, ID.3 #3 in December

Full Year 2022 Top 55 brands and Top 365 models vs. Full Year 2021 figures below.

Full December 2022 Top 55 brands and Top 310 models below.