Sales of passenger cars and SUVs in France stood at 139,004 units in September, representing a decline of more than 11 per cent compared to the same month last year.
This accentuates the shift in trend that began in August for the year-to-date figures, a period in which registrations fell by 1.76 per cent, down to 1,265,905 units, according to data from the French Automotive Manufacturers’ Committee (CCFA).
Specifically, Renault retained its position as the best-selling car brand in France in the ninth month of the year, with 23,951 units registered, a decline of 4.38 per cent compared to the same month last year. This has led to a year-to-date drop in registrations of 1.55 per cent to 203,528 units for the French manufacturer.
The second most popular carmaker among French customers is Peugeot, with a total of 19,363 registrations in September, giving it a market share of 13.98 per cent. Over the course of the current year, the Stellantis group brand has lost more than four per cent of its business.
In this context, Seat, one of the brands within the Volkswagen group, is experiencing its own resurgence in France, with 1,683 cars registered in September, representing a 50 per cent increase compared to a year ago.
There was a shake-up on the podium of France’s most popular brands, with Dacia dropping to fourth place, overtaken by Volkswagen, which recorded sales of almost 11,000 cars in September. This marks an increase of nearly 13 per cent year-on-year, giving the German brand a market share of over seven per cent. Since January, the company has seen a decrease of just under one per cent in its sales volume across Europe.
Meanwhile, sales of fully electric car brands continue to struggle to convince French customers. Polestar, the electrified brand linked to Volvo, sold just one car in France last month, while Tesla saw a decline of more than two per cent compared to last year’s figures, registering just over 5,435 cars in September.
On the other hand, sales of light commercial vehicles — those under five tonnes — in the French market fell by 15.20 per cent compared to the same month last year, with 27,934 units registered. Despite this, the year-to-date figure for 2024 shows a rise of over 5.2 per cent, with 289,792 new vehicles registered since January.
Thus, the total number of registrations for passenger cars, SUVs, and light commercial vehicles in France in September reached 166,938 units, a drop of 11.79 per cent compared to the 2023 figures. Since January, the total number stands at 1,555,697 vehicles, a decline of 0.52 per cent.
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