Pressemeldungen
Western European Passenger Car Sales Rebound 3% in January
February 10, 2006
London, England
According to CSM Worldwide, the market leader in automotive forecasting and market intelligence, the Western European car sales market rose 3.1% in January 2006 compared to the same month a year ago. Total vehicle sales for the month reached 1.2 million units, confirming a rebound from disappointing fourth-quarter results and a rise of consumer confidence across the region.
Germany, France and Italy are expected to fuel growth in 2006 as Spain finally slows down and the United Kingdom confirms cyclical decline. Looking forward, CSM Worldwide projects full-year passenger car sales to reach 14.68 million units in 2006, representing a slight increase of 1.3% vs. 2005.
“Germany and France are expected to build on the growth levels achieved in 2005, and Italy will see a boost in consumer confidence,” said Walt Madeira, manager for CSM Worldwide sales forecasting service. “With regards to the remaining larger European markets, the evident slow-down of sales in Spain during 4Q 2005 will continue to persist in 2006 and the significant five-year growth period in the United Kingdom has ended as expected, thus confirming the cyclical decline for 2006.”
Summary
- January sales growth in France, Germany and Italy are set to lay the foundation for a slightly optimistic outlook throughout 2006, as consumer confidence rises throughout the region. On the negative, Spain and the United Kingdom have passed the torch after experiencing robust demand during the recent past years.
- Demand in Germany fell in the closing months of 2005, lowering the full-year sales rise to 1.6%. In January, demand rebounded to post a growth rate of 11.3%. The 2006 full-year selling rate projects the market toward 3.46 million units, up 4.3% vs. 2005 and underpinned by the VAT increase to 19% expected in early 2007.
- The car market in Spain has been strong since 2Q 2003, and another record year of sales was achieved in 2005, despite the foreseeable slow-down. CSM forecasts sales to fall 1.3% as Spain’s base interest rates are set to increase to 2.5% in 2006, raising the cost of borrowing money and negatively impacting consumer purchases of cars.
- Demand in France has mirrored neighbouring Germany. In January, sales rose 2.7%. The 2006 full-year selling rate projects the market toward 2.1 million units, up 3.1% vs. 2005.
- The car market in Italy reported an upswing in late 2005 that has followed in January. Sales soared 10.7%, indicating sustainable demand in the present year. Full-year sales are expected to rise 4.2%, reaching 2.3 million units.
- Lastly, in the United Kingdom, car sales continue to experience a completely opposite cyclical trend in comparison to the region’s larger markets. Sales dropped 13.3% in January, marking the start to a difficult year. The 2006 full-year sales project the market toward 2.3 million units, down 6.5% vs. 2005.
CSM Worldwide (www.csmauto.com) supports more than 350 of the world's top automakers, suppliers and financial organizations with market intelligence and forecasting services. With corporate offices in metro Detroit, CSM Worldwide covers the global automotive environment from London, Frankfurt, Tokyo, Paris, Sao Paulo, Singapore, Shanghai, Bangalore, and Budapest.
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