What's the news?
Registrations of new cars in Ireland finished 2018 down by 4.4 per cent on 2017's numbers. That figure is hardly an unexpected one - the number of new car registrations has been, more or less, down by that figure all year long - but it's indicative of the fact that the Irish car industry is the first to suffer from the Brexit fallout, at a time when the rest of the economy has been performing rather better.
Total new cars registrations for 2018 stood at 125,557 - down from 2017's 131,332.
125,000 cars sold is a figure that the Irish car trade would have been delighted with in the dark days of 2009 and 2010, but in the current context they're something of a disappointment, and Brexit and British politics is being given the full blame for the numbers. With used car imports standing at 100,755 for the year, the Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI) reckons that's 100,000 buyers who may have bought Irish, if not for the weakness of Sterling tempting them to spend their money overseas.
Commenting on the figures SIMI Director General Designate, Brian Cooke said: "Despite the strong economic performance of Ireland last year, 2018 proved very challenging for new car sales. The drop in new car registrations is largely a result of Brexit and the associated weakness of Sterling. This has led to a surge in used car imports over the last 2 years, and 2018 saw used imports surpass the 100,000 mark for the first time. The Motor Industry is however as always forward looking, and with the new 191 sales period now commencing, January and the first quarter will be the key focus for dealers. In this context, the new car market is hugely competitive, with a wide choice of models and creative incentives, as well as the availability of a variety of financing options driving real value for new car customers. For consumers looking at the used car market, whether an Irish car or a used import, SIMI's advice is to shop around and consider the real benefits of shopping in your local retailer, who not only provides value to the customer but also encourages economic activity locally."
If there is a glimmer of hope for car dealers, it's that the cars they are selling are higher value models. The top-selling car was, once again, the Hyundai Tuscon, followed by the Nissan Qashqai. That pair of SUVs was followed up by three family hatchbacks to round out the top five; the Ford Focus, Volkswagen Golf, and Skoda Octavia.
Volkswagen finished the year as the top-selling brand, followed by Toyota, Hyundai, Ford, and Nissan. Light commercial and van sales were at least up (by 5.55 per cent) and electric car sales passed something of a Rubicon, topping the 1,000 sales mark for the first time with total sales of 1,233.