The UK is a net importer of cars and has been since I have been doing this assessment going back to 1981!
To show how it works, Nissan made 246,000 cars and sold 72,000 in the UK. That makes Nissan a net exporter of 174,000. In total 921,000 cars left factories in the UK and 1.6 million were registered in the country.
So the UK is a net importer of 710,000 units, domestic production is 43.5% less than imports. If that sounds poor, take comfort in knowing the locals aren't concerned at all.
It comes as no surprise to know that globally the car is on the way out, being replaced by the SUV / crossover and in some cases pick-up trucks as well. I do feel that some crossover vehicles are slightly raised hatchbacks but the industry defines them as more SUV than passenger car.
Notwithstanding, the traditional passenger car has taken a beating. It may include the 2/4 door, hatchback and wagon but that versatility hasn't been enough. People seem to want something a bit further off the ground. In most cases, SUVs make entering and exiting a little easier, give a more commanding view and generally create more space within the vehicle. They usually provide better margins for the manufacturer as well.
Of course it's not all win-win. Cars have a lower centre of gravity so handle better. Hatches and wagons also have the versatility to meet the needs of many most adequately. The cost of purchase is a bit less too. Pick-up trucks have their large tray along with reasonable room inside but their size and cost will limit how many people go that way. The levelling off of market share gain seems to confirm that.
At the end of the day, how people spend their 'hard earned' determines the winner, and the chart below shows where that is going in NZ. It would be a typical representation of the global trend. The numbers on each side of the graph show the percentage share of the total market including all vehicles.
Data source: MIA NZ.
The battle for control of the Russian car market has been quietly fought over the past dozen years. Since being acquired by Renault, the local brand went from an inefficient company to a much leaner one. Sales fell and the possibility was it would continue a downward trajectory.
Two Korean brands had been making their way up the sales charts and since 2015, these have been consistently the top three selling marques. From 2011 to 2014, Lada was losing sales while the two pretenders were gaining them. After that, the gap between them was maintained and in 2021 seems to be widening. I have added sales to what a full year may look like in 2021 assuming what was sold until the end of August continues at the same rate.
