- January 2017 car sales (39,019), on January 2016 (39,722) -1.7%
- 2017 forecast of new car sales, 142,000
- New car sales total in 2016 (146,603) up 17.5% on 2015
- €1.5 Billion Exchequer contribution in 2016 from car sales
- Cost of Motoring: Average price of a new car -5.5% lower (Dec 2016 v Dec 2015), Petrol prices +1.9 %, (Dec 16 v Dec15) Diesel prices +3.2% (Dec 16 v Dec15), Insurance Costs up 61.5% since 2013.
- Average C02 Emissions declined 30.5% since 2008
- Value of Goods advertised in DoneDeal’s Motor Section €5.4 Billion 2016
The Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI) today issued the official 171 car sales figures for January along with presenting their final SIMI/DoneDeal Quarterly Motor Industry Review of 2016. Alan Greene President of SIMI officially launched the report at the Clayton Hotel Dublin 4.
Car sales figures for the month of January show that 171 registrations are -1.7% (39,019) compared to January 2016 (39,722). Light Commercials are currently -2.4% (6,394) compared to January last year (6,555), while HGV (Heavy Goods Vehicle) registrations are -6.3% (456) for January in comparison to the same time last year (487).
The SIMI/DoneDeal Report highlights the strong economic performance of the Motor Industry last year, with growth in registration figures seen across all counties along with the upbeat nature of business confidence and investment reflected in commercial vehicles despite a softening of the market towards the latter half of 2016.
Jim Power Economist and author of the Review said “Looking ahead to 2017, while the outlook for car sales is a bit more difficult to predict than last year, the projected growth in personal disposable incomes and the availability of credit provide solid support for car sales. However, the impact of Brexit and the increased volume in imported used cars are other issues that may impact on new car sales this year., Overall, though, numbers should be fairly close to last year with perhaps a slight decline of around 3% in new car sales in 2017, which would imply new car sales of around 142,000.”
Last year the Industry continued to generate strong returns for the Exchequer with a total VRT and VAT take of €1.5 billion (26.8% ahead of 2015) from new and used car sales alone.
SIMI also issued New Vehicle Registration data for January 2017 which show that 171 new car registrations have had a steady start as anticipated, finishing just -1.7% lower than the total for January last year.
Alan Greene SIMI President commented “The Motor Industry continues to be a strong contributor to employment with 40,800 people employed throughout Ireland. Last year our Industry contributed €1.5 Billion to the Exchequer in car sales alone. 2017 was always going to be a more cautious year for businesses, right across the economy, but we have seen a steady start in January and hopefully we are on track for another good year and continuation of a stable market during the rest of the year”.
The SIMI/DoneDeal Review outlined that the cost of motoring in 2016 which has seen an increase in in petrol +1.9% and diesel prices +3.2% (Dec 2016 vs Dec 2015), along with the average price of a new car has declined by 5.5% (Dec 2016 vs Dec 2015). Motor insurance costs since 2013 have increased by +61.5%, although there was a slight decrease in the last quarter of 2016 by -5.5%, costs in December still remained at 8.9% higher than a year earlier.
Figures from DoneDeal, Ireland’s most popular motoring site also highlight the sustained upturn in the motor industry in 2016 with the volume of ads published in their Motor section increasing by 9.3%, represents a €5.4 billion in the value of goods advertised in DoneDeal's Motor Section.
Cathal Cremen, Commercial Manager of DoneDeal’s Motor Section, said; “2016 proved to be another exceptional year for DoneDeal in terms of traffic growth and adverts placed on the site. Motoring again proved to be the most popular section of the site with 663,336 cars alone advertised on DoneDeal in 2016.
“A significant feature of DoneDeal’s success in 2016 was the 17% increase in the number of car dealerships now subscribing to DoneDeal. This is very much a reflection of the commitment and investment that DoneDeal has been making to ensure we deliver a quality service for our clients.”
To view the full 2016 SIMI Motor Industry Review in association with DoneDeal visit www.SIMI.ie/quarterlyreview
Ends
Notes to Editor
Report infographic click here
Sound Byte from Economist Jim Power click here
SIMI/DoneDeal Motor Industry Review Q4 2016 click here
Video The Story of the Motor Industry in 2016 click here
January New Car Sales
- New car sales in January 2017 (39,019) v January 2016 (39,722) -1.7%
- 171 Car Sales by county for the month of January Click Here
- LCV sales in January 2017 (6,394) v 2016 (6,555) -2.4%
- HGV sales in January 2017 (456) v 2016 (487) -6.3%
- Top 5 selling car makes for January were Hyundai, Toyota, Ford, Volkswagen, Nissan
- Top 5 selling models for January were Hyundai Tucson, Ford Focus, Ford Fiesta, Nissan Qashqai, Volkswagen Golf.
- To view stats visit www.beepbeep.ie/stats
(*CSO Employment Figure up to the Third Quarter of 2016)
For further information:
Declan Lee, Insight Consultants, 087 695 7451 / Declan@insightconsultants.ie
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