Dacia, Volvo, DS gain as French sales rise 9% in January

PARIS -- New-car registrations rose by 8.8 percent in France in January, with gains of more than 30 percent at Dacia, Volvo, DS, Nissan and Fiat.

Sales have risen consistently since last August, as supply shortages eased for many automakers. The market was also starting from a low base, as sales last January were down 19 percent from the same month in 2021. There was also one additional selling day in January 2023.

Sales of full-electric vehicles continued to grow, with EVs making up 13 percent of the market in January compared with 10 percent in January 2022. Diesel sales made up just 11 percent of the market, compared with 18 percent in January 2022.

Volume brands with the biggest gains included Dacia (+54 percent); Volvo (+43 percent); DS (+35 percent), Nissan (+34 percent) and Fiat (+32 percent). Tesla sales were 741 vehicles for the month, a 1,443 percent gain, but the EV maker registered just 48 cars in January 2022. 

By group, market leader Stellantis was down 9.5 percent, with sales at its flagship Peugeot and Citroen brands down significantly on logistics issues. Renault Group sales rose by 24 percent, while No. 3 Volkswagen was up 22 percent. Toyota, in fourth place, was up by 18 percent.

The Dacia Sandero was the top-selling model, displacing the Peugeot 208 from the top spot.