Europe Top Mainstream Brands Graph : 2010-20

 

2017 Ford Fiesta

VW is the darling of the car market in Europe, traditionally led by the Golf. Selling well in the largest market in Europe helps of course but it has popularity is right across the region. The following pack is tightly knit and the order they hold is fluid. 

Renault and Peugeot too enjoy strong support at home, assisting them to have a strong showing. The UK has helped Ford and Vauxhall to be a numerical force in the region but poor sales there in 2020 wasn't helpful. Toyota has been a steady brand, less affected by the ups and downs the others have experienced. It is most popular in many smaller markets.

Other brands could have been added to the chart but for visual clarity only the main players are shown. 

Picture source: Netcarshow.

2020 Opel/Vauxhall Corsa

Korea Premium Graph : 2020

With virtually all mainstream sales handed to local companies on a plate through tariff protection, imports are mainly of the premium variety. There wasn't a serious premium marque to fight the invaders, I mean imports. Then Genesis was spun off as a stand alone brand rather than it simply being  Hyundai models. Around the world the move hasn't been that successful so far  while in Korea it did well initially before levelled off for a few years.

Then in 2020, it took off in Korea. A renewed G80 car and the all new GV80 SUV seem to have been the catalyst. Sales in Korea in general were largely unaffected by the Covid virus so that helped things along too.

What is noticeable about the chart below is the growth in this segment. Back in 2000, the combined sales of all premium cars was a miniscule amount but the steep rise since 2010 in particular is highlighted in the graph below. 

There are six nameplates below although there was also JLR. It deleted them from the graph as recent sales have crashed for reasons I do not know. I don't think we will ever know. You will also see how Audi went almost off the chart in 2017, as a punishment for dieselgate. 

Mexico Production By Company : 2020

Mexico has a vibrant vehicle industry from large trucks (not covered here) to small cars. It has recently had to deal with the US not being happy with the success of its car exports north. It also has an open market for imported cars, showing the rampant protectionism in Asia in established car making countries is simply not necessary. 

The total figure of 3 million was down 19%, which surprised no one with the Covid fallout. Passenger car volume was down 30%, which have the added issue of cars generally losing favour. Nissan makes a third of all cars and Kia one out of five. The diversity of brands is a notable plus although two left in 2020.

Light commercial vehicles did slightly better, being down 13%. GM now accounts for a third of that total and Chrysler one in five, that same pattern as cars. Two new brands entered here.