Europe Medium Volume Mainstream Brands : 2024 (Jan-July)

These are the mainstream brands that inhabit the 1090-300,000 sales bracket in the timeframe here considered. A couple of them were once in the next bracket up and they are the top two here. The Opel/Vauxhall brands were overtaken for the top spot in 1997, never to return. That was when European sales were Western only. Ford was top in 1997 (for a year) and was second as late as 2014. They are currently 12th (Ford) and 13th. 

Ford is moving away from passenger cars, relying more on SUVs and LCVs which are not covered here. More profitable but is there nothing to be made from selling cars? Others seem to manage. 

The Puma (picture below) and Kuga are the top two with the Focus still third but for how long? The end of 2025 apparently. The Fiesta has recently ended production. No wonder sales are down 18%. If profits are strong, I guess that's what matters when all said and done. 

Opel/Vauxhall is still very much in the passenger car mode, the Corsa making up 37% of sales this year. The Astra is also doing OK. The brands will be all electric by 2028, a bold move that will surely affect volume. It was planned before BEV sales started to stall.

Citroën is up a healthy 14% and in 15th overall. It has done better years ago but never a top five brand that I'm aware of unless it was back in the mists of time. The C3 is the reason for the upward sales, making up 46% of the total. 

Fiat certainly isn't what it was in the 1980's and before. New models are on the horizon so we will see how that pans out. For now, the Panda is the best selling model with 38% of Fiat's total. 

Nissan is up 16%, driven by the Qashqai (top picture) and Juke models. Between them, they account for 77% of Nissan's sales. SEAT and its spun off sibling Cupra are having a good year. The Cupra Formentor is the best selling between them both. 

MG is up but for how long with tariffs kicking in. The ZS is the best selling of the range. Suzuki is also going well with the Vitara the top selling model. Mazda is ticking along with its three top models all selling in about the same numbers. That's the CX-5, CX-30 and Mazda2. 

Europe Best Selling Mainstream Brands : 2024 (Jan-July)

Here is where the big hitters are to be found. They have for the most part increased sales compared to last year's equivalent period. So why not look a little deeper?

Volkswagen leads the way with the two immediately below reducing some of the gap. Its 10.3% overall market share is the lowest since 2007 but still in a strong position. The  Golf is the leading model but the T-Roc is catching up. 

Toyota is at its highest share ever (7.1%) and up 15% YTD but it is still some way from the top spot. The Yaris Cross and the Yaris are neck and neck as the best selling models. 

Škoda is the third most popular brand in the mainstrean category with a 10% gain in registrations. The VW owned company does very well with the Octavia model, which takes over a quarter of the total sales. 

Renault is steady at just over 5% of European sales but has pared back sales from 2020 when it was number two overall. The Clio is the mainstay of the range with nearly a third of all sales for the marque. Peugeot is close behind with the 208 its most popular model.

Dacia has the Sandero to thank for its strong showing with 48% of all Dacia sales. Kia is next (Sportage) and stablemate Hyundai (Tucson) rounding out the list of brands exceeding 300,000 YTD. 

Europe Premium Brands : 2024 (Jan-July)

Which premium brands are lifting sales and which ones are cutting back? Let's find out although there aren't any real surprises. The +/- compares seven months of 2024 with seven months of 2023.

BMW leads the way with nearly 6% of total sales (which include all passenger cars). Sales are up 13% with the X1 the leading model.

Mercedes-Benz also increased but by a marginal 2%. It holds over 5% of the total car market, the GLC is most popular model. 

Audi is pulling back as can be seen but the 7% drop in volume. The A3 is easily the top model with nearly one in five of the brand's sales.

Volvo is well back from the top three but is moving up strongly. The XC40 is the best selling model. 

Tesla rounds out the top five but sales have dropped 12%. The Y contributed 62% of the brand's registrations. 

BMW's MINI is releasing new generation Hatch and Countryman models which for now has hit sales during the transition. They are the two main models.

Land Rover is up 12% with the Range Rover Sport the top selling model. Porsche gained 6% with the Cayenne the most popular. For Lexus, the NX currently leads but the big increase is due to the new LBX which is closing the gap between them. 

For Alfa Romeo, sales have fallen with the Tonale capturing 63% of the brand's sales. Jaguar is up but probably not by the end of the year as it reduces its range of models. The F-Pace accounted for 45% of sales YTD. Polestar and Genesis both dropped by 29%, tha last four making few sales so far this year. 

South Africa PU Model Sales : 2022-24 (Jan-July)

Pickups or Bakkies as they are called in the RSA sell well here. The data below is for complete years except 2024 which is seven months. The Toyota Hilux has been the dominant model for many years but the Ford Ranger is closing the gap. The Isuzu D-Max is having a strong year so far. 

After that comes the Nissan NP200 (pic left), for which production ceased at the end of March this year after 16 years of sales. For now, there seems to be sufficient stock to have kept sales at usual levels up to now. There are no similar half tonne bakkies available .

Mahindra is doing well with its workmanlike Pik Up model (pic right). Further down the list there are some Chinese models including the Peugeot LandTrek.The JAC T-Series has already passed its entire 2023 sales. 

Mitsubishi is a small player with its Triton but it is persisting with it. As for the BT-50 has ended its 18 year run in the Republic with no sales since March. 

Data source:Naamsa. Pictures: Manufacturers.

Australia PU Model Sales : 2022-24 (Jan-July)

This sort of vehicle is very popular in Australia. An outdoors lifestyle in a country with space and a DIY culture all combine to make them a sought after mode of transport. There are a few interesting features here to note. Please note that the 2024 is for seven months, hence why it is lower.

While across the 'Tasman', the Ford Ranger has outsold the Toyota Hilux for a decade, it's only recently it is asserting itself in Australia. While I'm not ever going to own such a vehicle so am not an expert, all road tests in magazines point out the Ranger is much better. It's taken a while for the locals to cotton on.... 

Another interesting development is the growth of US sourced pickups. As they drive on the wrong side of the road in the US, the steering wheel and dashboard need to be changed which which comes at a substantial cost. Yet they have established a solid following. 

The numbers aren't huge but the fact that the high price and sheer size attracts so many surprises me. When I say the sales aren't huge, that is against a backdrop of impressive pickup sales generally. The numbers are deceptively large. 

The work involved in producing this many conversions has created a vibrant cottage industry. RAM started tentatively in 2016 with a few hundred per annum but it took off in 2019. The Chevrolet Silverado came in 2021 and benefitting from the foundation laid by RAM hit the ground running.

Ford arrived with F-150 in 2023 and Toyota has done a tentative run of 200 vehicles with the Tundra and will ramp things up from here. Ford has been affected with compliance issues and that has undoubtedly affected sales so the transtioning of the steering wheel is not a simple procedure when done after manufacturing. 

Mazda does quite well here with the BT-50, previously made by Ford and recently by Isuzu. It's not a model that Mazda has success within many markets. It's just been discontinued in New Zealand despite reasonable sales.  

Mercedes tried to crack the lucrative pickup market with a donor vehicle from Nissan but only averaged 2,000 sales over three years in Australia and flopped everywhere else as well. Chinese brands are trying to get some of the action with some success. Hyundai and Kia are upbeat about their new pickup models which are about the enter the fray. 

Pickup buyers are a loyal bunch and conquest sales are hardwon. They aren't practical for many people nor in many countries but in several places they are the best selling vehicles. This is obviously one of them.

Data source: Vfacts. Pictures: Manufacturers.

Greece Passenger Car Sales : 2024 (Jan-July)

Registrations were down 1% in July but ahead 9% YTD. Toyota is taking a strong lead here with 17.0% of the total. Toyota took the lead in 1998 and has been at the top since apart from a few years here and there. It's the highest market share it's had so far. 

Both Peugeot and Citroën have done well to take the next two places as has Suzuki in rounding out the top four. Below that quartet there were few brands improving their market share, bearing in mind the +/- Diff column represents a change in a brand's share. 

Top selling models have been the Toyota Yaris Cross (4,999), Toyota Yaris (4,918), Citroën C3 (4,190), Peugeot 2008 (3,612), Suzuki Vitara (3,230), Fiat Panda (3,190)

Data source: SEAA.

Croatia Passenger Car Sales : 2024 (Jan-July)

Registrations were up 7% for July and 14% YTD, the Ukupno (total) was 44,363. I overstated the total in my last report so sorry for that. Škoda is in its second year at the top, having displaced its sibling brand VW, albeit an older brother. It's the highest market share ever, baring 2020 when it was slightly higher. VW was the top dog going back to 2011 when it took over the helm from Opel. 

Opel is enjoying a revival iafter a poor 2023. This is the mirror opposite to Renault's unusually strong 2023 which has not been sustained. It's been a year of change, with most brands up or down quite substantially. One change that won't be happening is the top spot. 

Data source: Promocija plus

USA PU Truck Sales : 2020-24 (Jan-May)

I've updated an earlier article with 17 months of additional data! It covers five months of 2024. I also added the Hyundai Santa Cruz which some would say was a leisure activity vehicle but others a truck with a very small rear tray. I'm torn but included it. 

The US truck industry is a protected one so they are either made locally or they are not here. They also need to be big as the market for more compact pickup trucks is fairly modest. The market is dominated by US brands with their collective share currently sitting at 87%. The Japanese dominate pickup markets elsewhere but they have struggled here.

The Ford F-Series is the most popular model but the gap to second has been narrowing. Chevrolet, Ram and GMC follow some way ahead of Toyota at fifth. Then more compact trucks start to make their appearance. Rivian is the new kid in town with plenty to do, especially as electric vehicle sales are faltering in the US.

I do feel such vehicles are far larger than needed yet buyers seem to love them like that. If you want oodles of cabin space, can afford the costs involved, need the towing ability, live in a big country, and enjoy comfortable cruising then it would be on the top of your shopping list. The picture above is the Ford F-150 interior. 

Singapore Passenger Car Sales : 2024 Jan -July

Registrations were up 64% in July and 44% YTD. With the artificial way in which car sales are handled here, the ups and downs tell us little other than how many certificates were available at any given time. 

We can learn more when looking at brands. Toyota / Lexus combination leads although if separated it would be Mercedes-Benz in front. BYD has come from nowhere to second, elbowing BMW and Mercedes-Benz out of the way in the process, despite BMW doing well.

As for changes, the Toyota / Lexus market share is the lowest since 2015, BMW the highest since 2013. Audi is currently residing at its lowest point going back to 2008. It's also of note that for 2024, Rolls Royce registrations are down 73% on last year's complete 2023, Bentley 65% lower and Ferrari off 72%. 

While all the variances above are not what one would normally see, in a market that is controlled with a limited certificate system, not all that surprising. 

Data source: LTA. 

Korea Passenger Car/LCV Sales : 2024 J-Jy

Apart from some high ticket marques, the data below covers the vast majority of sales. The total market and imports are both down but at this stage of the month I'm not able to say by how much. As a market that heavily favours locally made - both with steep import duty and occasionally other means - it is dominated by a few domestic brands. Kia for now leads but has an ongoing lead change dogfight with Hyundai. 

I can only assume the steep import duty is to protect the fragile and vulnerable Korean brands from being overwhelmed by superior foreign ones. Why else would they persist with it? They seem to get treated much more kindly regarding duty when exporting as well. 

Hyundai's premium marque Genesis is doing well while KG Mobility (formerly SsangYong) moved into fifth place courtesy of a fast falling Mercedes-Benz. Chevrolet is mainly locally made vehicles and Renault Korea was formerly known as Samsung. 

Imports lost two more marques for 2024 in the form of Jaguar and DS. Nissan and Infiniti left in 2020. I did keep Renault sales apart from Samsung but now they are together under Renault Korea. The way some of the brands at the lower end of the list are faring, there may be more to follow. 

I used to get Tesla from the internet as best I could but it is now provided by Kaida. It has either jumped markedly or the previous source wasn't reliable. I'll text Elon later to confirm one way or the other.  

Some top selling models are the Kia Sorento (57,200), Kia Carnival (51,900), Kia Sportage (45,500), Hyundai Santa Fe (45,000), Hyundai Grandeur (39,650), Kia Selto (34,700) and the Hyundai Avante (31,300).  

If you're wondering why Kia has more top selling models and yet trails Hyundai on the list below it's because light commercial vehicles are included and Hyundai is much stronger in that area. Just passenger cars and Kia is the more popular brand. 

Data source: Kaida, Kama.

Japan Passenger Car Sales : Jan-July 2024

Scandals don't go down well in Japan. The culture is about face and losing it brings shame. Open apology and remorse mitigates some of the lost face but not all of it. That's how I see things but I'm not an expert in Japanese culture.

Daihatsu has recently been exposed for fraudulent vehicle testing. Production was halted for months as a result as the sales data below clearly shows. Toyota is the owner of Daihatsu and they haven't been immune to the fallout with claims against falsified safety testing. Mazda obtains cars from them and may have been affected but less than the other two mentioned.

The Daihatsu Tanto Fun Cross (on the right) sums things up rather well. No fun for the company and no doubt has made the parent company Toyota very cross. It could be a while before Daihatsu is out of the woods over this scandal.

The data below compares seven months of market share for 2024 with a complete 2023. Toyota sales were down 8% Daihatsu is much worse, of course with a 58% reduction in market share. Mazda is down 17%.

This has enabled other Japanese brands unaffected by the scandal to improve their situation markedly. As the year progresses, things may gradually return closer to what they were before but the damage already wreaked will not be fully erased this year and perhaps beyond.  

In summary, YTD the numbers are -10% with import brands -9% so much the same. Toyota's loss has been to the benefit of other local brands, not imports (as expected), the latter are mainly premium marques so not competing against Toyota.  

Data source: JAMA, JAIA.