Irish New-Car Sales Backslide 10% in First-Half 2017

Irish new-car sales fell 10% in first-half 2017 to 91,185 units, driven down by everything from economic uncertainty over the neighboring U.K.’s exit from the European Union to unsustainably high numbers a year earlier.

Society of the Irish Motor Industry figures show first-half light-commercial vehicle deliveries slipped 14.2% to 15,783 units.

A year ago, first-half new-car sales were up 26% from prior-year, but since then there has been the U.K. vote to leave the EU, an indecisive U.K. general election and the uncertainty of the Trump presidency in the U.S.

SIMI says the sales declines in all sectors were expected.

“We would anticipate that sales in the second half of the year should keep us on track to reach the 132,000 total that was predicted at the start of the year,” Alan Nolan, the industry group’s director general, says in a statement.

One Brexit-related factor has been a surge in used U.K. imports as the pound plummeted against the euro following the exit vote. Used-import sales totaled 45,000 units in the first half, well ahead of year-ago’s 32,269.

Volkswagen led the first-half car market despite a 15.8% decline to 9,220 deliveries, followed by Toyota, down 17.7% at 8,900, Hyundai, off 17.9% at 8,584 and Ford, down 15.1% at 8,509.

Hyundai’s Tucson was the first-half model leader, down 30.0% at 3,586 units, ahead of Nissan’s Qashqai, off 0.5% at 3,146, and Skoda’s Octavia off 14.5% at 2,787.

Ford continued its LCV domination despite sales dropping 25.0% from like-2016 to 3,726 units. Volkswagen tumbled 34.1% to 2,937 units, ahead of Renault, down 10.7% at 2,015. Toyota, Peugeot, Citroen and Nissan all increased their LCV deliveries in a falling market.

Ford’s Transit Van was the segment leader, down 45.1% at 1,220 units, ahead of VW’s Caddy, down 8.1% at 1,130 units, and Renault’s Trafic Van, off just 1.7% at 1,033.