VDIK: German passenger car market in April 8 percent up

Bad Homburg. In April 2018, the German passenger car market continued its positive course with 314,055 new passenger car registrations and an increase of 8 percent compared to the same month of the previous year. However, the rate of increase is influenced by two additional working days. With a total of million newly registered passenger cars, the market recorded a solid growth of 5 percent in the first four months of the year compared to the same period of the previous year. From January to April, VDIK members increased their sales significantly more than the overall market by around 8 percent and increased their market share by more than one percentage point to 38.4 percent compared to the same period of the previous year.

The decline in registrations of passenger cars with diesel engines was 12.5 percent in April compared to the same month last year and thus diminished slightly. Cumulatively, new registrations in the months January to April also fell by only 19 percent compared to the same period of the previous year.

New registrations of private customers reached well over 131,000 units and increased by 19.3 percent in April compared to the same month of the previous year. Compared in the same period from January to April, they grew by around 17 percent.

VDIK President Reinhard Zirpel: “The growth of 5 percent in the spring of 2018 is on solid foundations with a healthy distribution across all sales channels. In particular, the decline in registrations in the manufacturers/retail sector and the good share of private customers underline the good market situation. The slowdown in the decline in diesel vehicle registrations suggests a calming of discussions about this type of propulsion.”