Germany August 2024: Market off -27.8%, BEVs down -68.8%, Opel Astra outsells VW Golf

The Opel Astra outsells the VW Golf for the first time in over 32 years.

It’s a bloodbath this month for German new car sales, down -27.8% year-on-year in August to just 197,322. This mediocre result tilts the year-to-date tally into negative at -0.3% to 1,907,226. We are now -37% below the pre-pandemic August 2019 volume (313,748) and -24% below the 8 months 2019 result (2,495,536). Of note is the implosion of BEV sales off -68.8% year-on-year to 27,024 and 13.7% share vs. 86,649 and 31.7% share, admittedly helped by the year-ago rush to register EV before subsidies dry out. YTD BEV sales are down -32% to 241,911 and 12.7% share vs. 18.6% over the first 8 months of 2023.

Third consecutive month at #1 for the VW T-Roc. 

Looking at the brands ranking, Volkswagen (-23.3%) holds 17.9% of the market vs. 19.2% so far this year, with Mercedes (-15.5%) and BMW (-23%) also containing their losses somewhat. Skoda (+0.03%) manages the impressive feat of staying stable year-on-year and overtakes Audi (-36.6%) – hit particularly hard – both for the month and year-to-date to #4. Seat (-10.1%), Toyota (-12.3%) and Opel (-17.1%) also resist but Ford (-28%) and Hyundai (-31.2%) fall fast. Volvo (+18.8%), Lexus (+17%), Peugeot (+16.9%) and Mitsubishi (+7.1%) are among the rare year-on-year gainers further down the charts. Tesla is off -65.7% and the Chinese carmakers freefall: MG is down -75.8%, GWM down -88.7% and BYD down -89.3%.

The Alfa Romeo Junior has landed in the German charts.

Model-wise, the VW T-Roc (-11.4%) threepeats at #1 with 2.9% share, still not enough to grab the YTD lead. Below the VW Tiguan (-1.3%) is up two spots on July to #2, the event of the month is the Opel Astra (+102.3%) more than doubling its sales year-on-year to overtake its (former) archenemy the VW Golf (-35.6%). According to our records, the last time the Astra outsold the Golf was in 1992 when the first generation Astra topped the charts from January to March. The Astra now ranks #5 year-to-date vs. #29 over the Full Year 2023. The Skoda Octavia (+19.7%) posts a stellar year-on-year increase to remain inside the Top 5. Excellent month as well for the VW Polo (+41.2%) up 11 ranks on last month to #6. We welcome the Alfa Romeo Junior at #234 and the Renault 5 at #269.

Previous month: Germany July 2024: VW T-Roc repeats at #1, Skoda Karoq signs first Top 10 finish, BEVs off -36.8%

One year ago: Germany August 2023: Market up 37.3%, Fiat 500 up to #3, GWM Funky Cat and BYD Atto 3 surge

Full August 2024 Top 62 All brands and Top 348 All models below.