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New car registrations fell again in August, by a massive 20 per cent compared to August 2016. The last month's registrations fell to 5,754, compared to 7,297 in the same period last year, according to the Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI).
That means that overall registrations are down by 10 per cent to 124,711 cars so far this year. Registrations of vans and light commercial vehicles were down by 23 per cent in August, and 14 per cent for the year, while are down by the same amount, year-on-year.
The updated Skoda Octavia was the best-selling model in August, while Volkswagen holds the number one spot in the best selling brands of the year so far, followed by Toyota, Ford, Hyundai, and Nissan. The top selling models so far in 2017 are the Hyundai Tucson, Nissan Qashqai, Volkswagen Golf, Skoda Octavia, and Ford Focus.
The motor industry is now looking somewhat nervously to what the Government has planned for the upcoming Budget in October. There are many predictions that there will be swingeing new taxes for high-emissions vehicle, and possibly even some kind of super-tax on diesel cars, diesel fuel, or both.
"Ahead of Budget 2018 our message to the decision makers is simple with this declining market there should be no negative taxation decision in relation to VRT, road tax, or fuel" said SIMI Deputy Director General, Brian Cooke. "The Industry is focused on offering alternative fuel solutions and the government can encourage customers to avail of these through a variety of incentives. Some car brands have already rolled out their own initiatives to encourage the removal of older vehicles with the purchase of new cleaner cars.
"Our Industry continues to experience a direct impact from Brexit in the market place. Used car imports for the month of August increased by 31 per cent (8,451) while year to date have increased by 40 per cent (62,161) and these numbers have a knock-on impact on used car values and new car sales volumes. The 1st of September marks the commencement of new EU Emissions testing regime (WLTP) for new cars which will bring more accurate information for consumers on emissions and fuel consumption."