Hans-Dieter Seufert New registrations 2010
16.01.2011
W as for one year - the scrapping premium that expired in 2009 left a huge one Crater in the sales statistics of the manufacturers. Minus records in all segments, especially the minis and small cars, were badly shaken by the decline in sales. Only one vehicle class made the manufacturers' eyes light up: off-road vehicles and SUVs.
New SUV registrations: New sales record
What was already apparent throughout the year is now also in the annual financial statements became clear. No class was so popular with buyers. New SUV registrations rose by 20.6 percent compared to 2009, while total new registrations fell by 23.4 percent. Only in the case of sports cars, a much smaller segment with 46,305 new registrations, was there a similar plus.
Off-road vehicle registration figures: It will continue like this in 2011
The sales figures of the last few months make it clear that the trend will continue. Not only the numerous new releases of the past year, above all the BMW X3, Dacia Duster and the completely renovated SUV range from Kia and Hyundai, are well in the plus. Even models that are about to be replaced, such as the Mercedes ML, continued to sell well. And further new releases and facelifts have been announced for 2011, which will further boost business. Every tenth new car in Germany is now an SUV.
Particularly encouraging from a German point of view: almost all domestic manufacturers are benefiting from the trend above average. Audi, BMW, Ford, Mercedes and VW sell their SUVs like sliced bread, BMW has placed every single one of the four X series among the top 20. Land Rover can also benefit from the demand and increase sales figures between around 16 and a good 60 percent depending on the model series - only the classic Defender is in the red. A completely renewed model range is just around the corner at Jeep, which will give the traditional company a big boost in 2011.
If you miss the Nissan Qashqai in our overview: Nissan does not list it as an SUV, but as a minivan in the registration statistics. With 24,148 new registrations it would have been enough for third place in the SUV. It is a shame that the other three off-roaders of the brand are barely finding buyers, X-Trail, Pathfinder and Murano together sold fewer units than Land Rover alone from the expensive luxury off-roader Range Rover Sport.
You can find in our photo showthe exact numbers and positions of the most popular SUVs and off-road vehicles - and in the second part the list of slow-moving goods for which hardly any buyers were found.
