Car sales in August 2024: decline on all fronts

August has not been a good month for new car registrations. It never is in Spain, as it is the holiday month par excellence. But ending with barely 52,322 units6.5% less than in August 2023, is setting off all the alarm bells.

For most of the year, the market had been increasing (with the exception of March, which coincided with Easter this year), but this is slowing down market growth for the year to date. Registrations are now only up 4.5% compared to 2023 at this time. And if we look at pre-pandemic figures, the market has lost 30% of its volume.

The average CO2 emissions of passenger cars sold in August stood at 117.4 g/km of CO2 per kilometre travelled, 1.2% higher than the average emissions of new passenger cars sold in the same month in 2023. For the year as a whole, the average was 117.8 grams of CO2 per km travelled, 0.48% lower.

This figure is falling so slowly because electrified cars, plug-in hybrid cars and 100% electric cars barely reached 10.91% of the total in August, with 5,706 units sold. Twelve months ago the percentage was 12.4%. This is not a one-off event; the year as a whole has seen a -1.7% decline. The 69,833 plug-in units registered are barely 10% of sales in the total market.

In August, only the private channel grew. With 30,642 units, it has increased by 2.7%. Both the business and rental markets registered significant declines in the eighth month, with falls of -14.2% and -37.6%, respectively.

According to the manufacturers’ association, “What is worrying is the downward trend that the market has been experiencing in recent months, with a stagnation in sales that slows down the progress we had seen in 2023.” They demand incentive policies for citizens and companies to acquire or renew their passenger cars and fleets for more sustainable and new ones.

Dealers say that the figures “force us to reconsider the goal of exceeding one million units by the end of 2024.” In August, they highlight the contribution of the private channel, which accounted for 60% of all sales. Ganvam points out that “the market is showing a negative sign, something we have not seen in August since 2021, when we were experiencing the effects of the pandemic and the chip crisis.”

Best-selling brands and models

In a month as marked by the private market as few others, it is noteworthy that Toyota It is the best-selling brand, and far ahead of Hyundai and of Dacia. The Japanese also lead the total, but in this case they are followed by Seat and Volkswagen… at more than 18,000 units. Barring a catastrophe, Toyota’s hybrid strategy looks set to be the best-selling by the end of the year.

When we look at the best-selling models, we better understand why Toyota is in charge. The first place in terms of registrations is the Dacia Sandero, followed by the Hyundai Tucson, but third place goes to the Yaris Cross, whose update we have already driven:

But take a look at the list of the 10 best-selling models in August: There are no less than four Toyotas. In addition to the Yaris Cross, the Corolla, the C-HR and the Yaris:

Is there really that much dominance from Toyota in the year-to-date? No. So far in 2024, only the Toyota Corolla has been behind the Dacia Sandero. The Seat Ibiza completes the podium, with its brother, the Arona, right behind: