Fleet sales growth masks ongoing new car sales turbulence

Purchaser new car or truck profits have been down by about 4% when compared to the same thirty day period very last yr in a disappointing September outcome for the automobile sector, although fleet gross sales have at last shown some signs of lifestyle.

The every month new auto registration figures printed this morning by the Culture of Motor Producers and Traders (SMMT) replicate the ongoing chaos inside of the new automobile industry, with nothing at all to definitely suggest we’re heading to finish 2022 on a higher.

All round figures ended up up by just less than 5% when compared to the identical thirty day period last calendar year. But, then again, previous September was the worst September consequence in virtually 25 decades, so staying a little bit greater than the worst final result in a quarter of a century isn’t a substantial move ahead.

The growth was mostly because of to amplified fleet registrations, which ended up up 12% on final calendar year (but then previous year was down 43% on the calendar year before…). In the meantime, private new car or truck gross sales have been down 4% on very last yr, which in flip was down 25% on the calendar year just before.

EVs proceed to increase, plug-in hybrids continue on to tank

The SMMT launch was unhelpfully deceptive with a headline boasting that the British isles had strike a ‘one million EV milestone’. Having said that, this really includes plug-in hybrids, which are speedily starting to be the form of auto that no-a single desires.

Plug-in hybrids utilised to outsell appropriate EVs as vehicle consumers have been reluctant to entirely slash the twine with fossil fuels and dedicate to an all-electrical auto. But with the hottest era of EVs giving far more than than more than enough battery selection for most household wants, the plug-in hybrid has fallen massively out of favour.

After the very first 9 months of the year, plug-in hybrid income are down 15%, whilst entire EV sales are up 40% and normal hybrids (that simply cannot be plugged in) are up 18%.

Meanwhile, diesel revenue continue on to drop but that’s not particularly information, because they’ve been undertaking that just about every thirty day period considering that about 2016.

Good thirty day period, poor month

Ford driven its way again to the prime of the overall gross sales charts with a potent month as offer improved for its best-selling versions (Fiesta, Kuga, Puma). Volkswagen also did properly, placing 2nd in the all round gross sales charts in spite of Golfing nevertheless underachieving. Toyota was 3rd, in advance of Kia, Nissan and BMW. Nissan’s potent month was mainly many thanks to an huge outcome for the Qashqai (see beneath).

Across the sector, it was an additional month of really blended fortunes. A handful of brands did quite nicely, although several a lot more were noticeably down below par.

There was very good news for Cupra, Ford, Genesis, MG, Mini, Nissan, Polestar, Porsche, Tesla and Volkswagen, who all outperformed the overall market place effects by at the very least 10%.

Meanwhile, there was no this sort of cheer for Abarth, BMW, Fiat, Honda, Jaguar, Jeep, Kia, Land Rover, Lexus, Maserati, Peugeot, Renault, SEAT, Wise, SsangYong, Subaru, Suzuki, Toyota, Vauxhall and Volvo. All of these brand names underachieved from the general current market by at least 10%.

Storming thirty day period for British-crafted Qashqai

The Nissan Qashqai, developed in Sunderland, topped the new vehicle profits charts in September with a outstanding effectiveness. Much more than 9,300 Qashqais were registered for the month, which was 1,000 much more than a further amazing functionality from the next-put Tesla Design Y.

Tesla has kind more than the final pair of yrs of co-ordinating its new automobile deliveries to prime the charts in critical months, and 8,300+ Product Ys need to have carried out the similar in September – for reference, past year’s most effective vendor in September was the Tesla Model 3, which logged much less than 7,000 registrations.

In distinction, the Vauxhall Corsa fell out of the best 10 altogether. Merged with the huge result for the Qashqai, the 2022 new vehicle income race has out of the blue been thrown large open.

Virtually a person thirty day period back, I wrote: “With 4 months to go, the Corsa holds a much much larger lead than it did at this time last 12 months. So unless of course Vauxhall has some sort of conclude-of-calendar year profits meltdown, the Corsa appears established to retain its crown.”

Perfectly, the Corsa did not quotation have a meltdown (it however bought about 3,400 autos, which is effectively down on the very same month very last year but rarely a catastrophe), but the blend of a very poor thirty day period moreover the Qashqai’s barnstorming thirty day period signifies that the two cars are separated by only eight revenue just after nine months.

Could we see the Qashqai consider the 2022 product sales crown and develop into the to start with British-built vehicle to leading the income charts in a really extensive time (I really don’t in fact even know how prolonged, but definitely very well in excess of a 10 years)?

We’ll have our standard top-ten assessment in the next working day or so.