The final 2019 registration figure for new cars in the UK is expected to be close to 2.3 million, which would represent a 2.8% drop on 2018 and a fall of 14.6% from the 2016 peak of just under 2.7m.
Another decline is expected in 2020, to 2.2m if the Brexit process goes relatively smoothly. If the chaos and indecision of 2019 gets worse in 2020, then a fall to 2.0m or below is entirely possible. For now, here's the good and bad news of 2019.
ALFA ROMEO - DOWN
- 2018 market share: 0.18%
- 2019 market share: 0.15%
Alfa Romeo’s long-heralded rebirth is proving hard to deliver. Once its FCA owner is merged with PSA, will the group sell Alfa to someone who thinks they can do a better job?
ASTON MARTIN - UP
- 2018 market share: 0.06%
- 2019 market share: 0.07%
Rarely has the future of a company depended so heavily on a single new model. If the DBX is a hit, Aston survives as an independent business. Otherwise, it could sink under the weight of its debts.
AUDI - DOWN
- 2018 market share: 6.07%
- 2019 market share: 6.02%
For the second successive year, Audi has struggled to homologate engines for the first round of WLTP emissions tests. Now it faces the second round of WLTP: it promises to do better this time.
- 2018 market share: 0.07%
- 2019 market share: 0.07%
The news that the Bentayga has failed to make much difference to Bentley sales is both good and bad news for Aston: it is a weak competitor, but it also shows that not every luxury SUV succeeds.
BMW - DOWN
- 2018 market share: 7.27%
- 2019 market share: 7.20%
BMW’s slice of the market has been fairly steady this year, but increased variant availability of the new 3 Series might lead to a boost in 2020.
CITROEN - UP
- 2018 market share: 2.10%
- 2019 market share: 2.22%
It has tried to pivot from Picasso MPVs to Aircross crossovers and renewed its comfort focus but success has been modest.
DACIA - UP
- 2018 market share: 1.02%
- 2019 market share: 1.32%
The new Dacia Duster has led to a surge in market share. In a crowded small SUV market, the no-nonsense crossover really has a niche all to itself.
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Don't Forget your Toothbrush
With a few exceptions, the sales are more or less the same. Just look at those figures, 0.01% rise and it's like sipping a Mojito in Cuba. Sales down 0.01% and it's Blue Nun in Bognor . Many of those better/worse figures are by such a small margin it's a pointless exercise.
The real story is from those manufacturers who's figures differ by the greatest margins.
Dacia, SEAT, Volvo and Toyota must be happy with around a 0.3 increase whilst Fiat, Honda and Nissan have faired poorly. Wooden spoon tho goes to Vauxhall with nearly 0.4 drop. With both Peugeot and Citroen incresing sales in the UK market and Vauxhall being exclusive to the UK market, my prediction for 2020 is PSA killing off the Vauxhall brand. Hope that doesn't mean the end for workers at Ellsmere Port.
scotty5 wrote:
It is hoped that Vauxhall will continue as EV car branch of PSA+FCA (IFAC = Italian French American Cars, Isotta Fraschini Automobile Corporation, Indifferent Failed Anti Consumers)
Justified Failures
Downhill race of A Lousy Fiat Automobile and Deutsche Sacrilege has been predicted
what a load of drivel - most
what a load of drivel - most of the comments are biased against the paying brands for Autocar, which is very clear to see, The Disco 5 is not a DUD, tha was a pathetic comment, which from where it came is not a surprise, it is far superior to the D4, which was old and outdated when it came out, it is also less capable than the D5, less room than the D5, less economical than the D5 and i could go on, but i wont waste my breath, as its the same old, just because the Magazine moans about something, the rest follow like sheep.
As for the Bentayga and Cullinan, how you can say they dont do anything for the respective brands sales is again pathetic, a sale is a sale, and they are selling, in decent numbers, too, the Bentley is due for a facelift, which is imminent, so as per every brand, sales start to wander downwards, same with Astra and Insignia, they are due for updates, and the sales should increase.
Ford will continue to drop, the Mustang SUV is rubbish, totally Rubbish, i spent an hour with one the other night, and the really stupid door handles are rediculous, what moron thought they were acceptable for Europe, and haveing to punch in a number on the B pillar, NO, we are not the USA, we do not want that carp here, the car is NOT a mustang, there is nothing to show it is a mustang and to be honest that car has more in common with the eGolf than anything from Ford, as VW Supplied a vast amount of technology for the car, so its not a Ford, let alone a Mustang.
And to deride companies is pathetic, just token journolism that wants to provoke, well, you provoke nothing except making a tool of yourself, and if you are going to do a report like this you need to put in ALL the brands, not just the ones you want....