Cars and Drivers

Ford European Sales Draw Even With Fiat Chrysler

Paul Ausick

Published: September 14, 2017 10:55 am

Last Updated: January 12, 2020 8:11 am

The European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) reported Thursday that new vehicle registrations in the European Union (EU) rose 5.6% in August compared with new registrations in August of 2016. New registrations for the month totaled 865,047 units, the best August total in a decade.

Belgium reported the largest year-over-year decline, 8.1%, followed by the United Kingdom where sales fell 6.4%. The largest percentage gains came in Lithuania (up 34.4%) and Latvia (up 25.8%). On a volume basis, sales in Germany totaled 253,679 units and sales in France reached 107,449 units.

For the first eight months of 2017, new passenger car registrations are up 4.5% to a total of 10.23 million. Registrations rose the most in Croatia (up 22%), Lithuania (up 19.8%) and Hungary (up 19.3%). Sales in the United Kingdom are down 2.4% for the same period.

The top-selling maker in the EU is Volkswagen, which sold 218,335 vehicles in August, up 2.8% year over year for the month. VW’s market share for the month totaled 25.2%, down from 25.9% in August 2016. Registrations are up 2.9% for the first eight months of the year.

PSA Group, makers of Peugeot and Citroen among other brands, posted an increase of 79% to 133,541 units. The company’s market share rose from 9.1% to 15.4%. The huge increase includes sales in the Opel/Vauxhall group the company acquired from General Motors Co. (NYSE: GM) earlier this year.

Renault Group posted an increase of 13% to 88,656 units, while its year-over-year share rose from 9.6% in August 2016 to 10.2%.

Of the Detroit Three, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. (NYSE: FCAU) increased its market share in the EU from 5.7% to 5.9% year over year, led by an 40% increase in sales of the company’s Alfa Romeo brand and a 9.7% jump in Fiat sales. Jeep brand sales dipped 5.6% year over year. FCA sold 51,206 units in August, up 9.4% compared with August 2016.

Ford Motor Co. (NYSE: F) sold 51,203 units in August, down 3.5% year over year for the month. The company’s August market share came to 5.9%, down from 6.5% in August 2016.

GM has effectively left the EU market and had sales of just 53 units in August.

BMW Group’s market share in August slipped year over year from 6.6% to 6.4%. The company sold 55,330 units last month. Daimler posted a market share gain, rising from 6.7% in August 2016 to 6.9% last month with sales totaling 59,934 units.

Toyota Motor Corp. (NYSE: TM) posted market share of 4.9% in August, up from 4.5% a year ago. Sales volume rose 14.4% to 42,070 units. The largest percentage increase came in the company’s Toyota division, up 15.5% year over year while Lexus division sales fell 1.7%.