According to the German Federal Automobile Service (KBA), new car sales in Germany barely exceeded 600,000 units (625,954 units) in the first quarter of 2022. This was due to poor sales in the first quarter of last year, down 4.6 percent. The shortage of semiconductor chips continues, and due to inflation and soaring oil prices after the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, it seems unlikely that the market will recover sooner rather than later.
But even in this case, there are cars that sell well. First of all, in terms of brand sales, Audi is the only brand in the German market that has increased sales year-on-year. In addition, Tesla's popularity is even higher, with sales increasing by 137.2% compared with the first quarter of last year.
Top 10 German brands in the first quarter of 2022 (Source: German Federal Automotive Agency)
1st place: Volkswagen (112,025 units, -14.4%)
2nd place: Mercedes-Benz (57,602 units, -7.6%)
3rd place: Audi (53,036 vehicles, +4.2%)
4th place: BMW (52,245 units, -11.0%)
Fifth place: Skoda (37,206 units, -7.8%)
Sixth place: Opel (34,681 units, -16.8%)
7th place: Ford (313 units, -12.9%)
8th place: Seat (29,383 units, -3.4%)
9th place: Hyundai (23,431 units, +10.4%)
10th place: Renault (19,735 units, -24.9%)
Judging from the above results, only Audi and Hyundai have achieved positive growth. In addition, BMW, which surpassed Mercedes-Benz last year, lagged behind Mercedes-Benz and Audi even in sales in the first quarter. Spanish brand SEAT, which ranks 8th, has become a hope in the treasure trove of the masses.
The most notable is Tesla, with sales of 14,408 units, ranking 12th in the overall brand ranking. In addition, sales of major Japanese brands such as Toyota, Kia, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Honda, and Subaru also increased significantly compared with the same period last year. Only Nissan had a negative growth of -28.2%, but the decline was not severe.
Top 10 models sold in Germany in the first quarter of 2022
1st place: Volkswagen Golf (24,557 vehicles, -7.7%)
2nd place: Volkswagen Tiguan (15,405 vehicles, -20.6%)
3rd place: Volkswagen T-Roc (11,245 units, -15.6%)
4th Place: MINI(10,136 units, +0.4%)
Fifth place: Opel Corsa (1615 units, -16.9%)
6th place: Fiat 500 (1023 units, +45.6%)
7th place: Mercedes-Benz C-Class (9766 units, +10.8%)
8th place: Audi A3 (9756 units, +10.7%)
9th place: BMW 3 Series (9749 units, -14.5%)
10th place: Mercedes-Benz GLC (9687 units, +14.6%)
Golf's decline has been going on for several years, but sales still have an overwhelming advantage, and there is still a big gap with the second place. Tiguan fell sharply, while the Fiat 500 significantly boosted sales. Taking the Fiat 500 as an example, the electric car Fiat 500e has also achieved good results.
The Mercedes C-Class and SUV GLC are also new to the top ten. Among The South Korean models, Hyundai Kona, which also sells electric vehicles, ranked 20th (6668 units, -12.4%), and Kia's Seed (5851 units, +16.9%) ranked higher.
Germany's top 5 electric vehicles in the first quarter of 2022
First place: Tesla Model 3 (9483 units, -4.9%)
Second place: Tesla Model Y (4925 units)
3rd place: Fiat 500e (4644 units, -16.6%)
4th place: Hyundai Kona EV (3905 units, +5.2%)
5th place: BMW i3 (3550 units, -5.5%)
Tesla's Model 3 topped the list with a large advantage. However, sales decreased slightly compared to the same period last year. Tesla once competed with a Model 3 model in the European market, and now the Model Y is also produced in Germany, which can consolidate its dominance in the European market together.
In a recent comparative test conducted by Automoto & Sport, Germany's leading automotive magazine, the Model Y did not perform as well as the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6.
If electric vehicles such as the Fiat 500 and Tesla Model Y have caused a sensation in the German car market, the Coupra Formento plays a prominent role in Germany as an engine car. Coupra is a high-performance sub-brand created by Spanish brand Seat. The Formento is a compact SUV manufactured here.
It's an unfamiliar model of a brand that we are very new to, but the reaction in Germany and across Europe is quite impressive now. Formento sold 9,085 units in Germany in the first quarter (ranked 13th), up 147% from last year. Sales exceeded 4,500 units in March, soaring to fourth place.
The Tesla Model Y, the Fiat 500, and even the Coupra Formento, which are currently very active in the German automotive market in early 2022, are not German brands. German brands are also estimated to be nervous.