Audi, Fiat, BMW among losers as Spanish sales fall 8% in January

New-car registrations in Spain fell 8 percent in January, the market’s fifth consecutive monthly decline and, according to the dealer association GANVAM, the first January decline since 2014.

Registrations were 93,546 units, according to the industry association ANFAC. Last month had the same number of selling days as January last year.

Sales of diesel cars fell 36 percent to 27,035 units and a 28.9 percent market share, ANFAC said. Diesel registrations had recovered slightly in December. The Spanish government’s 2019 budget, presented in January and yet to be approved by the Parliament, includes an increase of 3.8 cents per liter in the tax on diesel fuel.

Sales of gasoline cars were up 8.7 percent in January to 56,154, representing a 60 percent share. Sales of all electrified vehicles — battery electric and hybrids — jumped 30 percent to 8,994 and took a 9.6 percent share, up from 6.8 percent in January 2018.

Sales to all channels were down last month. Demand from private customers fell 9.6 percent to 47,244 units, registrations by companies were down 5.5 percent to 31,374, and sales to rental companies dropped 8 percent to 14,928.

ANFAC reckons that private demand will stagnate in 2019 as “families postpone purchases of new cars due to uncertainty on the economy.”

Noemi Navas, head of communication at ANFAC, said sales of used cars are rising. “In the first weeks of January, sales of vehicles 15 years old or more were as many as sales of new cars,” Navas said.

This, she said, suggests growth in the average age of cars on the road.

Home brand Seat was the most popular in January, with a 6 percent increase in sales to 9,089 units. Within the Volkswagen Group, the VW brand suffered a 19 percent decline, Skoda was down 13 percent and Audi dropped 29 percent.

Within the PSA Group, Citroen registrations were up 4 percent on the back of good demand for the C3 and C5 Aircross crossovers. Peugeot sales were flat, while Opel deliveries dropped 18 percent.

Renault sales were down 11 percent, while sister brand Dacia posted a 27 percent increase thanks to the Sandero small hatchback, which was the best-selling car in January. Its sales jumped 29 percent to 3,153.

Within the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles group, Fiat registrations were down 25 percent. Jeep deliveries jumped 82 percent, thanks to brisk demand for the Renegade and Compass crossovers.

Ford sales were down 7 percent.

Major Asian automakers reported negative results. Among the Japanese brands, Toyota was down 4 percent and Nissan 18 percent.

South Korea’s Hyundai declined 9 percent, while sister brand Kia suffered a 16 percent fall in registrations. Among German premium manufacturers, Mercedes-Benz sales were down 12 percent and BMW’s 18 percent.