New car sales are down 8 per cent so far this year, with 56,110 registrations in the first two months of 2017.
Figures for February show 17,128 new cars were registered, a drop of 21 per cent on the same month last year, according to figures from the Society of the Irish Motor Industry (Simi)
Toyota is the best-selling brand this year with 6,156 new registrations, taking a slight lead over Hyundai with 6,033. However, the Korean brand retains the best-selling car with its Tucson crossover model recording 2,457 registrations to date.
Of the other manufacturers, Ford is in third place with 5,518 registrations, ahead of Volkswagen with 5,460. And for the first time in years, Mercedes-Benz is the best-selling premium car brand, with 2,464 sales, compared to Audi with 2,213, but some distance away from BMW with 1,456. It's a significant improvement for Mercedes, with sales up 88 per cent on the same period last year, compared to a 1.7 per cent slip by Audi and a 25.7 per cent decline in sales at BMW.
With increasing international political attention on the impact of diesel engine pollutants, it’s notable that diesel sales have slipped back over 7.5 per cent this year. While diesel engines still feature in 66 per cent of all new car sales, motorists – particularly those living in urban areas and buying smaller cars – are looking at alternatives.
Hybrids
Hybrids sales have picked up as a result, albeit from a low base. So far this year 1,929 petrol-electric hybrids have been registered compared to 852 this time last year. However, despite Government incentives and infrastructure investments, electric car sales are still inconsequential, with just 230 registered in 2017.
In the commercial market, a bellwether for economic performance, the number of registrations of light commercial vehicles – mainly vans – has fallen by 5.3 per cent to 8,869 up to the end of February. Sales of new heavy goods vehicles are down 1.6 per cent this year to 727 registrations.
According to Alan Nolan, director general of Simi: “We have been anticipating lower numbers in February compared to 2016, with Brexit continuing to impact on used vehicle imports, with fewer working days this year and with less hire-drive cars because of a later Easter, but these numbers are somewhat poorer than we had hoped.”
The industry projections for the year suggest a market close to 140,000 for 2017, compared to 147,000 last year.
Michael Rochford, managing director of Motorcheck.ie, said: “This month’s sales stats must be taken with a pinch a salt as there is a little distortion due to the leap year in 2016. There is no doubt that this year is not going to perform as well as 2016. There is a lot of uncertainty around due to Brexit and with exchange rates in their current position, used car imports from the UK are growing massively.
