Skip to main content
Sister Publication Links
  • Automotive News
  • Automobilwoche
  • Automotive News Canada
  • Automotive News Mexico
Subscribe
  • Subscribe
  • Newsletters
  • Login
  • HOME
  • News
    • Photos
    • Automakers
    • Suppliers
    • Sales By Market
    • Environment/Emissions
    • Latest Launches
    • Sales and Retail
    • Car Cutaways
    • On The Move
    • EU, Japan back automatic braking regulation
      German auto jobs at risk from hard Brexit
      Aston Martin to preview SUV for revived Lagonda nameplate at Geneva show
      How VW, Daimler, BMW, others are transforming into tech companies
    • Sweden's Veoneer forecasts flat sales in 2019
      Ionity boss has plan for stations across Europe; he just needs an EV boom
      Moscow's short-term car rental boom highlights threat to automakers from new players
      German auto jobs at risk from hard Brexit
    • Porsche, Alfa Romeo and Nissan take big hits as European sales fall 5% in January
      Russia sales rise nearly 1% in January despite VAT increase
      Audi, Fiat, BMW among losers as Spanish sales fall 8% in January
      Volvo, VW gain sales in UK market down nearly 2% in January as diesel plunge continues
    • Volvo blurs the wagon/SUV line with the V60 Cross Country
      view gallery
      7 photos
      New Range Rover Evoque designed for the 'urban jungle'
      Range Rover Evoque gets hybrid tech to cut emissions
      Tarraco gives Seat a flagship SUV to help retain wealthy buyers
    • Ferrari will unveil V-8 hybrid supercar this year
      Mercedes outsold Audi in China last month on sedan demand
      Tesla's Musk visits Norway to review delivery delays
      Europe's minicar segment to shrink as VW, PSA mull axing their smallest cars
    • Suppliers to the new Porsche Panamera
      Suppliers to the new Peugeot 5008
      Suppliers to the new Seat Ibiza
      Suppliers to the new VW Touareg
    • Daimler appoints Airbus exec as finance chief
      VW China CEO to join VW brand's management board
      Mini USA names marketing veteran McKenna head of product planning
      Dyson hires former Infiniti chief to head its electric-car business
    • Geneva Photo Gallery
    • Beijing Photo Gallery
    • Frankfurt Photo Gallery
    • Paris Photo Gallery
    • Shanghai Photo Gallery
  • Auto Shows
    • Geneva Auto Show
    • Frankfurt Auto Show
    • Paris Auto Show
    • Beijing Auto Show
    • Shanghai Auto Show
    • China EV startup Aiways will launch SUV in Europe
      Bentley revs up Bentayga with Speed variant
      Skoda will debut first EV at Geneva show
      VW Passat gets cleaner diesel, partial autonomy
    • Bugatti considers four-door model for 2024
      Frankfurt photo booth
      Frankfurt's best and wurst
      Merkel says German car industry must work to rebuild trust
    • Vietnam's first automaker now has names for first sedan, SUV
      Bugatti mulls SUV as part of broader model range
      Ferrari Monza supercars will earn $755 million in revenue
      China's GAC likely to debut in Europe with an EV
    • VW will launch SOL EV brand in China with subcompact crossover
      view gallery
      9 photos
      BMW's iX3 concept heralds electric expansion
      view gallery
      9 photos
      BMW will export iX3 electric SUV to Europe, U.S. from China
      view gallery
      15 photos
      Mercedes-Maybach is betting on a hybrid SUV-sedan look
    • view gallery
      7 photos
      Jeep finds green groove with plug-in hybrid SUV concept
      Ferrari, Aston Martin, Maserati sales soar in China as rich snub austerity push
      China's luxury market to grow to 3M a year, Audi, Mercedes predict
      view gallery
      10 photos
      Mercedes hints at new styling with sedan concept
  • Opinion
    • Blogs
    • Luca Ciferri
    • Douglas A. Bolduc
    • Paul McVeigh
    • Ford's 'redesign' for Europe emphasizes SUVs, LCVs
      Russia's Google, Yandex, impresses with its self-driving tech
      Renault Twizy gets new life in Korea as motorcycle replacement
      Why the car is no longer the ticket to freedom
    • Ford's 'redesign' for Europe emphasizes SUVs, LCVs
      Russia's Google, Yandex, impresses with its self-driving tech
      Renault Twizy gets new life in Korea as motorcycle replacement
      Why the car is no longer the ticket to freedom
    • Ford's 'redesign' for Europe emphasizes SUVs, LCVs
      Russia's Google, Yandex, impresses with its self-driving tech
      Renault Twizy gets new life in Korea as motorcycle replacement
      Why the car is no longer the ticket to freedom
    • Ford's 'redesign' for Europe emphasizes SUVs, LCVs
      Russia's Google, Yandex, impresses with its self-driving tech
      Renault Twizy gets new life in Korea as motorcycle replacement
      Why the car is no longer the ticket to freedom
  • Maps
    • E-Car & Component Map of Europe
    • Powertrain Map of Europe
    • Assembly Plant Map of Europe
  • Supplements
    • Connected Car
    • Talk From The Top
    • BMW 100
    • Car Cutaways
  • EVENTS & AWARDS
    • Automotive News Europe Congress
    • Rising Stars
    • Eurostars
    • Leading Women
  • E-MAGAZINE
    • Read the latest issue
    • Download the app
    • Subscribe
  • More
    • E-Magazine
    • Contact Us
    • 2019 Media Kit
    • About Us
MENU
Breadcrumb
  1. Home
  2. Automotive News Europe
January 16, 2016 12:00 AM

European sales growth will slow this year, say Daimler, Ford, Volvo CEOs

Douglas A. Bolduc
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Print

    DETROIT -- Top European automotive executives expect the region's new-car sales to grow for a third straight year in 2016, but they say the overall volume will continue to trail the record high of more than 16 million reached in 2007.

    "Europe will grow at a reasonable rate in 2016, but not at all-time high volumes previously seen in a number of the markets,” Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche told Automotive News Europe on the sidelines of the auto show here.

    Volvo CEO Hakan Samuelsson said Europe is "finally" rebounding from the euro crisis and the Greece crisis, helped by recoveries in southern European markets. "The markets are coming back. The southern European countries are coming back, such as Spain and Portugal," Samuelsson said, also at the show.

    Ford of Europe CEO Jim Farley said he sees "continued modest growth" in Europe as a whole, as the south helps to offset slower gains elsewhere. "We're really seeing good solid growth in southern Europe for the first time in a long time," Farley said in an interview.

    Sales in Spain and Portugal rose more than 20 percent last year and Italy’s volume increased 16 percent, according to data from European carmakers association ACEA.

    Powered by forecast gains in France, Spain and Italy, Europe’s new-car registrations are expected to grow more than 3 percent to 14.46 million vehicles in western and eastern Europe this year, according to IHS Automotive, regaining roughly half of the market’s losses since volume peaked nine years ago. PwC and LMC Automotive see sales in Europe rising to 14.6 million in 2016.

    While sales in most Mediterranean countries are forecast to keep growing, UK sales, which reached an all-time high of 2.63 million in 2015, are forecast to cool, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

    "The past four years have seen a remarkable period of sustained growth, and the outlook remains positive with every reason to expect the market to hold broadly steady in 2016," SMMT CEO Mike Hawes said in a statement.

    John Leech, UK head of automotive at analyst firm KPMG, believes the market’s car sales have peaked. "My forecast is that new car sales will slip back 1 per cent in 2016, with the first half of the year stronger than the second half," he said in an emailed statement.

    In Germany, registrations in 2015 rose 5.6 percent to 3.21 million while France climbed 6.8 percent to 1.92 million.

    Denis Martin, PSA/Peugeot-Citroen's European operations chief also is cautiously optimistic about sales for this year. "It may be slower in 2016 than it was in 2015. As you know, our world is chaotic. There are different issues in each country,” Martin said. "But I am optimistic by nature, so I expect that it will be better than our forecasts."

    Registrations in the EU and EFTA markets rose 9.2 percent to a six-year high of 14.2 million vehicles last year, according to data released by industry association ACEA on Friday.

    ACEA said volumes are only now returning to pre-crisis levels. "The trend is positive but, in absolute terms, volumes remain low," it said in a statement.

    Bruce Gain contributed to this report

    Related Articles
    VW trails rivals as Europe sales rise 16% in December
    Monthly E-Magazine
    Thumbnail
    View latest issue
    See our archive
    Sign up for free newsletters
    EMAIL ADDRESS

    Please enter a valid email address.

    Please enter your email address.

    Please select at least one newsletter to subscribe.

    You can unsubscribe at any time through links in these emails. For more information, see our Privacy Policy.

    Get Free Newsletters

    Sign up and get the best of Automotive News Europe delivered straight to your email inbox, free of charge. Choose your news – we will deliver.

    You can unsubscribe at any time through links in these emails. For more information, see our Privacy Policy.

    Automotive News Europe Monthly E-Magazine

    Sign up to receive your free link to each monthly issue of Automotive News Europe as soon as it's published.

    GET THE E-MAGAZINE
    Connect with Us
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • LinkedIn
    • Instagram

    Founded in 1996, Automotive News Europe is the preferred information source for decision-makers and opinion leaders operating in Europe.

    Contact Us

    1155 Gratiot Avenue
    Detroit MI  48207-2997
    Tel: +1 877-812-1584


    Email Us

    Resources
    • About us
    • Contact Us
    • 2019 Media Kit
    • Advertise with Us
    • Ad Choices Ad Choices
    • Sitemap
    Awards
    • Rising Stars
    • Eurostars
    • Leading Women
    Legal
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    Copyright © 1996-2019. Crain Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    • HOME
    • News
      • Photos
        • Geneva Photo Gallery
        • Beijing Photo Gallery
        • Frankfurt Photo Gallery
        • Paris Photo Gallery
        • Shanghai Photo Gallery
      • Automakers
      • Suppliers
      • Sales By Market
      • Environment/Emissions
      • Latest Launches
      • Sales and Retail
      • Car Cutaways
      • On The Move
    • Auto Shows
      • Geneva Auto Show
      • Frankfurt Auto Show
      • Paris Auto Show
      • Beijing Auto Show
      • Shanghai Auto Show
    • Opinion
      • Blogs
      • Luca Ciferri
      • Douglas A. Bolduc
      • Paul McVeigh
    • Maps
      • E-Car & Component Map of Europe
      • Powertrain Map of Europe
      • Assembly Plant Map of Europe
    • Supplements
      • Connected Car
      • Talk From The Top
      • BMW 100
      • Car Cutaways
    • EVENTS & AWARDS
      • Automotive News Europe Congress
      • Rising Stars
      • Eurostars
      • Leading Women
    • E-MAGAZINE
      • Read the latest issue
      • Download the app
      • Subscribe
    • More
      • E-Magazine
      • Contact Us
      • 2019 Media Kit
      • About Us