Irish Car Market Posts Double-Digit Gain in 2016

The Irish new-car market put in its best performance in eight years in 2016, rising 17.5% to 146,672 units from 124,804 a year earlier.

Light-commercial deliveries, which best reflect the level of activity in the economy, ended the year up 18.3% at 28,180 units.

Releasing the statistics, Society of the Irish Motor Industry Director General Alan Nolan says 2016 was the best result since 2008.

“Despite some slowing in the second half of the year, the numbers are in line with expectations at the start of 2016 and underline the continued growth and buoyancy in the economy,” Nolan says in a statement.

“The industry is anticipating a continuation of the strong performance seen during 2016 and is projecting similar registration numbers to last year.”

The optimism comes despite uncertainty about the economy in the wake of the U.K.’s vote to quit the European Union.

The year ended with December car sales up 45% to 499 units and LCV deliveries off 23% at 179.

Toyota was the top-seller in the car sector, rising 18.5% to 15,530 units, edging out Hyundai, up 34.5% to 15,442, and Volkswagen, gaining 1.2% to 15,411. Ford finished fourth, climbing 12.1% to 14,603 units.

Hyundai’s Tucson was the year’s top-selling model with 7,425 units, after debuting in 2016 with 65 units sold.

The VW Golf, the only model in the top 10 to lose ground on 2015, dropped to second, down 1.8% to 5,011, but edged out Ford’s Focus, up 10.8% to 4,825.

Diesel continued to rule the car market, with sales rising 15.7% to 102,771 units. Gasoline models climbed 19.9% to 40,641.

Among alternatively fueled models, electric vehicles fell 15.9% to 392 units, but plug-in gasoline-electric hybrid deliveries soared 146.6% to 286.

The big loser was diesel-electric segment, down 95.8% to just four units from 93 a year earlier.

Ford remained the LCV leader with sales up 17.3% at 6,465 units, ahead of VW, rising 32.6% to 4,658, and Renault, up 20.98% to 3,581.

Ford’s ubiquitous Transit van topped the segment, rising 8.5% to 3,329 units, outpacing of its Transit Connect sibling, up 35.9% to 2,269. VW’s Caddy followed, climbing 35.1% to 2,065.