As we draw towards the end of another good year for the motor industry, car sales are up for the year but down in November compared to the same month last year.

Official statistics released by the Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI)show that new car registrations for the month of November at 748 were down 192 cars (20%) compared to November 2015 (940) while total new car sales are up 17% (146,175) ahead on the same period last year (124,460).

Light Commercial Vehicles (LCV) have seen an increase of 8% (667) when compared to November 2015 (620) and are currently up 19% (28,001) year to date. Heavy Goods Vehicle (HGV) registrations, are up 33% year to date
(2,844) but have declined 9% for the month of November (71) 2016 compared to the same month last year (78).

Alan Nolan, Director General, SIMI, “2016 has seen the highest levels in new vehicle registrations since 2008, even with the challenges of Brexit in mid-year and the slowing down in the last couple of months. Overall it has been a good year for our Industry and all indications look that registration numbers are on track to deliver in the region of 147,000 this year as predicted. As the Industry looks forward to next year and the key January sales period the outlook remains strong for another good year in 2017. Jim Power Economist and author of the SIMI/DoneDeal Quarter 3 Review  has commented that while the outlook for the economy is a bit more uncertain in the wake of Brexit, looking ahead to 2017 new car sales should have a similar outturn to 2016.”

Stats in short:
• New car sales year to date (2016) 146,175 V (2015) 124,460 +17%

• New car sales total November (2016) 748 V (2015) 940 -20%

• Five Top Selling Makes for the Year 2016:

  1. Hyundai,
  2. Volkswagen,
  3.Toyota,
  4. Ford,
  5. Nissan

• Five Top Selling Models for the Year 2016:

  1. Hyundai Tucson,  
  2. Volkswagen Golf,
  3. Ford Focus, 
  4. Skoda Octavia,
  5. Nissan Qashqai

• Top selling car for the month of November; Toyota C-HR

• Light Commercial Vehicles sales year to date (2016) 28,011 V (2015) 23,594 +18.72%

• Light Commercial Vehicles sales total November (2016) 667 V (2015) 620 +7.58%

• Heavy Goods Vehicle total sales year to date (2016) 2,844 V (2015) 2,141 +32.84%

• Heavy Goods Vehicle sales total November (2016) 71 V (2015) 78 -8.97%