|
West Europe’s car market remains in the fast lane, comfortably outpacing the US during this year’s 1st quarter – While Europe has picked up steam during these past three months, US Light-Vehicle growth has progressively slowed down to walking pace. AID investigates
Talk about confounding expectations.
While this year’s US market was generally expected to fly high and fast for yet another year, pushed along by strong tailwinds on the key economic front, the perceived prospects for Europe were seen as little better than an ongoing limp recovery, that was widely tipped to slow rather than accelerate as the year unfolds.
+8.7%
West Europe’s Q1 car sales
growth compared to same period last year
+5.6%
USA's Q1 Light-Vehicle sales
growth compared to same period last year
Early days, perhaps, but the latest state of play gives rise to the view that these contrasting earlier expectations for this year’s car sales turnout simply couldn't have been more off the mark.
While the US Light-Vehicle market has gradually slowed down to walking pace during the opening three months of this year, with monthly sales slowing from January’s 13.7 per cent to 5.3 per cent in February and a mere 0.5 per cent this March, West Europe’s underlying sales pace has moved into the exact opposite direction.
A modest rise of 6.3 per cent in January was followed by a 7.5 per cent advance in February, culminating with a near 11 per cent leap during the course of last months.
These contrasting underlying trends are echoed loud and clear at the latest state of play at the 1st quarter stage.
Raising the prospect of a great turnaround story, according to AID’s provisional figures West Europe’s first quarter car sales already topped last year’s comparative levels by a spirit raising 8.7 per cent, whereas US Light-Vehicle growth during the same spell trails behind with just 5.6 per cent
growth...more
MORE
LIKE THIS:
>
Burst of spring sunshine for Europe’s fast-melting car market
10 April 2015
>
Poor European car sales year ends on upbeat
note 07 January 2015
>
Europe’s November car sales pace slows to a trickle
11 December 2014
DATA
AVAILABLE
TO SUBSCRIBERS WITH THIS ARTICLE:
EUROPEAN
new CAR sales:
by
country
MARCH
2015 V MaRCH 2014
3-MOnths 2015 v
3-Months 2014
WEST
EUROPEAN new CAR sales:
by
manufacturer and marque
MARCH 2015 V
MaRCH 2014
3-MOnths 2015 v
3-Months 2014
|
