SUVs now make up almost half of all European new car sales

High-riding SUVs now make up almost half of all new car sales in Europe, according to figures released this month. Data from Jato Dynamics showed overall sales were down by more than a quarter in January, but SUV sales didn’t suffer as badly as other segments, leaving them with a record market share.

Across the 27 separate markets across the region, registrations of new cars totalled 839,525 units in January 2021, down by 26 percent compared with the same period in 2020. It’s the lowest number of registrations in the first month of a year since 1982.

Those figures followed data from the UK’s Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), which showed sales in this country were down almost 40 percent in January. The organisation, which represents car dealers and manufacturers, said the ongoing lockdown has severely impacted dealers’ ability to trade.

And similar problems are clearly impacting dealers on the continent, with sales down by a massive 52 percent in Spain. And Germany wasn’t far behind, seeing registrations drop by 32 percent.

However, certain markets bucked the trend with growth, with Sweden boasting a 23-percent uplift compared with January 2020. That increase was, however, partly down to tax changes, while Norway saw sales rise eight percent as dealerships reopened.

But SUVs were the real success story, making up 44 percent of all European new car sales. In comparison, the next largest segment – subcompact cars such as the Ford Fiesta – made up just 19 percent of the total.

Yet despite this dominance, only one SUV made the top 10 most popular cars in Europe last month, as hatchbacks ruled the roost. The Toyota Yaris took top spot, with more than 18,000 units sold, while the Peugeot 208 and Dacia Sandero followed close behind. The only SUV to make the list was the VW T-Roc, of which just under 14,000 were sold.

Felipe Munoz, a global analyst at Jato Dynamics, said despite increased interest in electric cars, the coronavirus pandemic was causing huge problems for manufacturers and dealers across Europe.

“Despite efforts made by governments and OEMs to boost the registration of pure electric cars,” he said, “it has not been enough to offset the impact of the global pandemic and local lockdowns.”

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