The European car industry saw a significant decline in registrations in September 2017, with new registrations for the month totaling 1,461,683 units, which was a decrease of 2.2 percent when compared to the same month last year. This was due to decreases in 11 of the 27 markets analyzed, including in Germany, where the diesel crisis hit overall results, which offset double-digit growth in six other markets and strong performances from Italy and Spain.
JATO says this decline for September points to a slowdown in European registrations, following a long period of strong results. While this isn’t an unusual trend, the recent performance of the U.K. car market – one of the big five markets in Europe – is having a significant impact on the rest of the region’s growth. This can be attributed to the increasing uncertainty around Brexit negotiations and the U.K.’s future in the European Union.
The Nissan Qashqai – with its all-new facelift – became the second-most popular car in Europe for the first time ever, outselling other popular models such as the Renault Clio and the Volkswagen Polo. The compact SUV, which came top in Finland, Spain and the U.K., could not beat the updated Volkswagen Golf, which posted double-digit growth for the first time in 2017, posting particularly strong results in the U.K., France and Italy. The strong month for the Golf comes ahead of the launch of the new Volkswagen T-Roc, which may have a negative impact on the model’s registrations in the future as it will sit in the SUV segment and will be similarly priced to the Golf.
