New car sales are up 21 percent on the year in the first quarter of 2014, up to 18,491 units. It is the first time since 2009 when the local auto-market ends the first quarter of the year with a positive results.
“Overall, auto deliveries (automobiles + commercial vehicles) registered a 21 percent increase in the first quarter of 2014, compared to the similar period from last year. Automobiles registered a 19 percent increase. It is for the first time since 2009 when the first quarter records a growth compared to the previous year and it is at the same time the most impressive increase since 2007 (Q1 2008 registered a 17 percent increase on year)”, according to the APIA press release.
Company acquisitions sustained the industry with 84 percent of total deliveries. Used cars are down 11.6 percent compared to Q1 2013, but they still surpass new car sales in volume by 3.5 times.
Deliveries of new cars went up 31 percent in March compared to the previous month, climbing to 8,021 units.
Car sales had a positive evolution at the European level:
France – 3.3 percent
Germany – 5.6 percent
Italy – 6 percent
Spain – 11.8 percent
UK -13.7 percent.
On the local market, the best sold brands in Q1 2014 were:
Dacia – 4,723 units (30.8 percent of total)
Volkswagen – 1,533 units (10 percent of total)
Skoda – 1,533 units (9.9 percent of total)
Ford – 1,150 units (7.5 percent of total)
Renault – 787 units (5.1 percent of total)
Opel – 642 units (4.2 percent of total).
Dacia Logan is the best sold model in March and after three months, followed by Dacia Sandero, Skoda Octavia, Dacia Duster and Volkswagen Golf.
In March, 36.741 units were exported out of Romania, and after the first three months of the year deliveries to other markets are up at 98,034 units, up 9.4 percent on year.
Top models exported in Q1 2014
Dacia Duster – 31,994 units
Dacia Logan – 26,714 units
Ford B-Max – 18,176 units
Given these figures, the auto market is registering the third consecutive quarter of growth compared to the similar period of last year.