By Peter Wuebben
FRANKFURT, July 22 (Reuters) - Carmakers in Germany, home to industry icons such as VW , BMW and DaimlerChrysler , are losing ground at home as foreign firms snatch market share, official figures showed on Tuesday.
Figures released by Germany's department of motor vehicles (KBA) showed that while most domestic carmarkers sold markedly fewer vehicles in Germany in the first six months of 2003 than in the year-earlier period, unit sales of foreign -- in particular Asian -- manufacturers grew.
Industry watchers say this is explained in part by the fact that foreign carmakers have recently brought out more new models, while consumers are sitting tight to see what the Germans deliver. Both VW's new Golf and Opel's Astra will be unveiled this autumn.
"We have the effect of biding time, because consumers are waiting for new models," said Ulrich Winzen from industry forecaster Marketing Systems. "The German models will come again," he said.
New car registrations in Germany fell by around one percent to 1.68 million cars in the first half, recent figures released by German automobile industry association VDA showed.
German firms sold around three percent fewer cars than a year ago, with only Porsche and Opel, a unit of General Motors , posting rising unit sales, helped by new model launches, while foreign firms bucked market weakness with an average two percent rise.
IMPORTERS GRAB MARKET SHARE
"The importers offer good value for money," said Volker Lange, president of importers' association VDIK, adding that they were also strongly reacting to conditions in Germany, Europe's biggest car market.
"The Asians have positioned themselves well in design and technology and have pushed more strongly in diesel technology."
Foreign firms' share of the German market climbed to around 35 percent by June, according to the VDIK.
Asian carmakers like Daewoo , Hyundai Honda , and Mazda showed significant growth on the German market, with France's Citroen and Peugeot posting an 11 percent rise during the six-month period.
New registrations of French peer Renault remained at year-ago levels.
German automakers pale in comparison, with Audi, BMW, DaimlerChrysler and Ford's German arm all selling fewer cars in the first six months than they did a year ago.
VW held par with year-earlier levels, thanks to its Seat and Skoda units, while new model launches helped boost new registrations of Opel and Porsche by six percent and four percent, respectively.
VW on Tuesday presented the first pictures of its new "Golf V", slightly bigger and sleeker than its predecessors, which will be unveiled at the Frankfurt auto show in September.