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| Opel Corsa |
There was a drop in new car sales for the month of June while sales of used imports were up, writes Trish Whelan.
The total new car registrations for June were down 10.4pc (1,255) compared to the same month last year (1,400). Registrations year-to-date (87,151) are 4.5pc down on the same period last year (91,215).
There’s been a slight increase in New Light Commercial Vehicle registrations (LCVs) of 2.06pc (694) on June last year (680) and year-to-date are up 5.7pc (16,633).
New Heavy Commercial Vehicles (HGVs) are up 110pc for the month of June (185) compared to the same month last year (88) and are down 1.1pc (1,571) year-to-date.
Imported Used Cars sales were up 11.5pc for June 2018 (8,142) over June 2017 (7,304) while year-to-date are 12.8pc (51,879) ahead of 2017 (46,002).
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| Alan Nolan |
Commenting on the figures released by the Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI), SIMI Director General, Alan Nolan, said “While June has seen a decline in new car registrations of 10.4pc, registrations in this month are relatively small numbers as many consumers will have waited for a 182 registration number. The more relevant measure is the year-to-date figure which shows a decline of 4.5 pc compared to the same period in 2017.”
This, he said, is at odds with the growth in economic activity in the country but has to be seen in the context of the volume of used car imports which impact negatively on new car sales. Commercial vehicle registrations for both light and heavy vehicles, have seen some increase for the month of June, reflecting investment for business.
Alan Nolan continued: “This week marks the start of the 182 sales period and, with plenty of competitive offers for consumers right across the various brands, there is something for everyone. As always, our best advice to consumers is to shop around to find the best deal from local dealers.”
The figures also show sales of electric vehicles year-to-date are up 41.44pc.
The top selling car brands so far this year were 1. Volkswagen, 2. Toyota, 3. Hyundai, 4. Ford and 5. Nissan.
The five top car models year to date were: 1. Nissan Qashqai, 2. Hyundai Tucson, 3. VW Golf, 4. Ford Focus, and 5. Skoda Octavia.
The top selling car for the month of June was the Opel Corsa (pictured above).
