Irish New-Car Sales Retreat 7%, LCVs Up 2.5% in 2013

Ireland’s struggling new-car sector saw 2013 sales fall 7% to 74,303 units despite a slight second-half revival after the government introduced half-year registration plates.

Society of the Irish Motor Industry statistics show the year closed with December new-car deliveries down 32.9% to just 212 units.

Volkswagen ended the year as the top-selling brand despite its sales declining 6.3% to 9,508 units. Toyota fell to second with deliveries off 23.3% to 7,665, ahead of Ford, down 11.3% to 7,621.

VW’s Golf was the top-selling model, with sales up 7.6% to 3,604 units. Nissan’s Qashqai followed, down 10.7% to 2,944. The Ford Focus was third, despite slipping 23.4% to 2,871 units, just ahead of the Ford Fiesta, falling 12.3% to 2,416.

The light-commercial segment finished on an uptick as December sales rose 3.1% to 67 units from 65 in like-2012.

The result put full-year LCV sales up 2.5% to 11,076 units, with No.1 Ford gaining 10.9% to 2,558, ahead of VW, down 10.5% to 2,090, and Renault, off 7.9% to 1,173. The biggest loser was fourth-place Toyota, dropping 25.5% to just 744.

Despite the dismal 2013 new-car market, SIMI Director General Alan Nolan is comforted by what he calls a strong recovery in the new July-December plate-registration period after a poor first six months.

“The commercial-vehicle sales figures are also an indication of recovery in the sector, and the latest jobs figures from the CSO (Central Statistics Office) show 1,000 more people working in the motor industry now compared to the middle of 2013,” he says in a statement.

“As we look forward to this year, many in the industry are very positive for the new-car market. Dealers around the country have been reporting an increase in showroom traffic and stronger sales activity for the new 141 (plate) registration period in January compared to last year.”