New registrations April 2017: 8 percent drop

I n a total of 341,385 vehicles received a license plate for the first time in April. Here the minus compared to the previous year is 9.7%. Thanks to a strong start to the year, the number of new registrations after four months is still positive. With 1,135,381 cars put on the market for the first time, the increase compared to the previous year is still 2.5%. In terms of total new registrations, too, 1,319,581 new vehicles ensure an increase, albeit only with a modest 1.6%.

The compact class segment has lost 13.2%, but remains with an overall share of 24.2% of the cake is still the segment with the highest approval. This is followed by small cars and SUVs with 13.6% each, with small cars losing 12.9% and SUVs growing by 9.1%. At the start of the season, on the other hand, the mobile homes achieved a double-digit increase of 15.3% to a total new registration share of 2.2%. The utilities have a share of 4.9% (+ 9.4%), the off-road vehicles have a share of 8.8% (+ 5.5%). April 2017 ended with a minus in all other segments.

Diesel clearly declining

65.2% (-7.9%) of new vehicles were commercial and 34.8% (-8.1%) privately admitted. The majority of new registrations (55.9%) have a gasoline engine under the hood. A downward trend is clearly discernible for diesels. The diesel engines fell by 19.3% to 41.3%. The alternative drives can shine with mostly positive results. Electric cars (1,413) showed an increase of 133.9% and hybrids (6,396) increased by 71.7% - including plug-in hybrids (2,174) by 125.5%. New registrations with liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) vehicles increased by 50.4% despite the announced discontinuation of the tax advantage, while natural gas-powered (CNG) cars lost 50.0 percent.

VW, Audi and BMW in the red

After four months, almost all car manufacturers can look back on a positive new registration record. The electric car maker Tesla (+ 152.6%), Alfa Romeo (+ 96.2%), Lexus (+ 59.6%), Jaguar (+ 51.5%), Dacia (+ 31.1%) are up in double digits ), Fiat (+ 27.1%), Toyota (+ 26.0%), Suzuki (+ 24.6%), Renault (+ 18.2%), Jeep (+ 13.6%) and Mitsubishi (+ 11.6%). But where there is a lot of light, there is also shadow. After four months, DS is still 29.3% below the previous year. Honda is at minus 26.3%, Smart at minus 8.5% and VW at minus 6.6%. The losers also include Nissan (- 2.7%), Audi (- 2.6%), Volvo (- 1.9%) and BMW (- 0.3%).

The used car market in theMinus

The used car market is also clearly in the red. 588,951 cars changed owners in April, 10.3% fewer than in the previous year. In total, the KBA recorded 688,599 owner changes in April, a decrease of 10% compared to the previous year. The annual balance after four months is therefore also negative. In the case of passenger cars, 2,444,662 owner changes result in a decrease of 1%. A total of 2,785,650 vehicles were passed into new ownership (- 0.5%).