Germany Drives Europe’s Uptick in September Sales

PARIS – European Union light-vehicles sales eked out slight growth in September, thanks to an 8.1% increase in Germany that compensated for minuscule declines in France, Spain and the U.K., as well as a 5.7% drop in Italy.

September demand rose 0.7% to 1,232,707 units, raising the continent’s 9-month total to 10,122,983, down 1.1%.

A8 helped push sales for Audi, Volkswagen Group.

Germany currently has the strongest economy in Europe, thanks in large part to exports of its premium automobiles.

However, last month’s Frankfurt auto show had no apparent effect on September deliveries in that country. In fact, the month’s surge was less than the average of the previous eight months.

Germany’s September results are comparable with those of last October’s in France, where the Paris auto show coincided with an 18% plunge in sales following declines of less than 1% over the first nine months.

The U.K. was Europe’s biggest market last month, with 332,476 units to Germany’s 280,689.

Audi is winning Europe’s battle of the premium brands, with sales rising 19.8% in September. Deliveries totaled 502,116 units through the first nine months.

BMW gained 21 units on Mercedes-Benz in September and leads the Stuttgart brand for the year, selling 469,320 units-437,480. Mercedes deliveries dropped 5.6% last month but still are strong for the year.

Lexus is growing fast from a tiny base. Sales are up 39.2% on the year to 18,861 units. Toyota’s luxury marque has surpassed Jaguar, which had 17,743 deliveries in the first nine months, down 15.4%. But Jaguar saw an 11.8% gain in September, thanks to the launch of a 2.2L diesel version of the Jaguar XF.

Volkswagen remains Europe’s volume-brand leader, aided by the strength of its home market. Group sales for the year’s first nine months rose 7.9%, to 1,243,888 units. Each brand is doing well: VW, Audi, Skoda and SEAT deliveries increased both in September and on the year.

Renault remains Europe’s second-largest brand, but trails VW by a wide margin. Renault Group sales for January-September slid 9.2%, to 780,436, but a surge in Dacia deliveries resulted in a 1.6% increase in September. Renault has no new high-volume products this year, but in 2012 will field a replacement for the Clio in Europe’s largest segment.

A September decline reduced Opel/Vauxhall’s 9-month sales gain to 1.1%. Vauxhall deliveries slipped 11.3% in September, while Opel sales dipped just 2.0%.

Fiat seems to be benefiting from its new organization linking Chrysler and Lancia. Lancia/Chrysler sales jumped 17.7% in September, reversing a year-long decline, although Lancia/Chrysler deliveries are down 10.4% on the year.

The Lancia Delta minivan and Ypsilon 5-door hatchback are being sold as Chryslers in the U.K. and Ireland, while they remain Lancias in the rest of Europe.

Jeep-brand deliveries more than doubled to 2,587 units in Europe last month, good for a 9-month sales surge of 56.3%.

PSA Peugeot Citroen continued struggling in September, with Peugeot sales tumbling 15.7% for the month and 7.8% for the nine months, while Citroen deliveries fell 11.8% in September and were down 7.6% year-to-date.