Autocar - First for car news and reviews

Detailed UK registration figures for October have just been released, with all but two manufacturers recording a dramatic reduction on the same period last year. Overall, the market fell by 23.05 per cent, but with November and December being relatively quiet months for new car sales, it’s clear that the total of sales for this year is going to be substantially down on 2007.
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Can anyone explain Volvo's sales rise? Up over 400 units in October and nearly 4,000 units year-to-date. What gives with Volvo in UK? In continetal Europe its sales are way down, worse than market average - see ACEA website to check.

Are the British seeing something the Europeans are not?

could it be the Police spec T5 by any chance, no credit crunch with speeding fines paying for new cars

Hadn't thought of that brucey, that could be part of it alright. Now that speed camera fine money is going to central govt. rather than kept by local councils - see Swindon council getting rid of cameras as a result - and 'safety' camera partnerships maybe the boys in blue may have to economise on their usual, rapid response £30K+ company cars. Does Dacia sell the Logan in right hand drive yet?

horseandcart:

Can anyone explain Volvo's sales rise? Up over 400 units in October and nearly 4,000 units year-to-date. What gives with Volvo in UK? In continetal Europe its sales are way down, worse than market average - see ACEA website to check.

Are the British seeing something the Europeans are not?

Not really, at work we've just had a loan car for a couple of weeks - from one of those ambulance chasing operations that perform "accident management", it was a brand new V40 2.0L auto, lets face it you'd never actually but one with your own cash!

Is this where all the new Volvos are? 

 

 

The local Renault dealer near me will be closing its doors for the final time next week, and they aren't taking on a new franchise, either. There just isn't enough business to go round. In any case, why buy new when there are plenty of used cars available at good prices.

There is no doubt its a tough market out there and Renault are feeling it more than most but this is in part (at least) down to model cycle, the all important C sector car, The Megane is being replaced, given that Megane series cars represent a significant portion of any Renault Dealers sales, it is no wonder they've been struggling. The new Megane is due this months with variations due from January.

That said Renault execs need sacking for some appalling decisions in recent years.  

 

That'll be the XC60 dealer & corporate demonstrators and initial customer orders, I imagine, plus having the C30 (ie - a 'cheap' Volvo) that they didn't have in great numbers a year ago and some big fleet deals on S40/V50.

Thanks NobbyUK for that. We'll see how they, Volvo, fare in coming months to see if they can sustain it. Personally, don't like the XC60, too bland, not a patch on the great-looking Audi Q5.

My heart bleeds for these honest, moral, straight talking decent folk....

 You reap what you sow people.... 

Maj1c:

My heart bleeds for these honest, moral, straight talking decent folk....

 You reap what you sow people.... 

Hear bloody hear ! Car salesmen are rabble by and large and it's a mug's game too. Cannon fodder.

Re. JLR's, or LR's sales more particularly, down by over half. Although they, JLR, no longer publish sales figures in the US, perhaps this well-written review of a fully-loaded Discovery V8 helps to explain why LR's sales are estimated to be down over 50% in America too. Times have changed and Land Rover's been caught out.

Too Rugged for the City, Too Pretty for Off-Road

 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/07/AR2008110702481.html