2013 (Half Year) Germany: Best-Selling Car Manufacturers and Brands

Volkswagen, Mercedes, Audi, and BMW were the top-selling carmakers in Germany during the first six months of 2013.

Volkswagen Polo R WRC

The first half of 2013 saw the German car market contract by 8.1% to just over a million and a half new passenger vehicle registrations. Volkswagen easily remained the strongest car producer in Germany with more than a fifth of the new car market. VW was followed by Mercedes-Benz, Audi and BMW. The VW Golf remained Germany’s favorite car model while electric cars still do not sell in any significant numbers in Europe’s largest car market.

The German Car Market in 2013 (First Half)

The German car (PKW) market shrunk by 8.1% in January to June 2013 compared to the first six months of 2012. In total, Germany saw 1,502,630 new passenger vehicle registrations during the first half of 2013. With the exception of April 2013, car sales in Germany were lower every month of 2013 compared to the year before.

The total powered vehicle market in Germany during the first six months of 2013 was 1,756,867 (-8%) units. Electric vehicles took a 0.2% market share.

Best-Selling Car Brands in Germany in 2013 (Half Year)

The top-selling car marques in Germany during the first six months of 2013 according to car sales statistics released by the KBA were:

  Manufacturers  First Half/2013  % Market Share % Change
1 VW  324,948 21.6 -9.0
2 Mercedes  141,719 9.4 -2.3
3 Audi  128,249 8.5 -5.1
4 BMW  118,840 7.9 -7.1
5 Opel  105,587 7.0 -11.0
6 Ford  98,851 6.6 -11.8
7 Skoda  77,380 5.1 -1.0
8 Hyundai  51,105 3.4 -3.2
9 Renault  48,911 3.3 -12.3
10 Seat  41,359 2.8 30.4
11 Fiat  37,378 2.5 -8.5
12 Toyota  36,241 2.4 -15.0
13 Kia  29,041 1.9 4.8
14 Peugeot  27,812 1.9 -31.2
15 Citroen  26,377 1.8 -24.9
16 Nissan  26,267 1.7 -23.6
17 Dacia  23,481 1.6 8.4
18 Mazda  23,329 1.6 2.7
19 Mini  18,025 1.2 -8.7
20 Smart  15,194 1.0 -4.3
21 Volvo  14,639 1.0 -18.1
22 Chevrolet  13,349 0.9 -17.0
23 Suzuki  12,987 0.9 -23.4
24 Honda  12,015 0.8 -3.9
25 Porsche  11,849 0.8 3.0
26 Mitsubishi  11,133 0.7 -14.5
27 Land Rover  6,912 0.5 21.1
28 Subaru  4,737 0.3 5.4
29 Jeep  3,031 0.2 -9.6
30 Jaguar  2,236 0.1 35.0
31 Alfa Romeo  1,863 0.1 -58.0
32 Lancia  776 0.1 -59.5
33 Lexus  723 0.0 -53.0
Others  6,286 0.4
Total Car Sales  1,502,630 100.0 -8.1

NOTE:

  • % Change compare January to June of respective years
  • Position changes compare January to June 2013 to full year 2012

Best-Selling Car Marques in Germany in 2013 (Half Year)

It was mostly red ink for carmakers in Germany during the first half of 2013. Volkswagen narrowly underperformed the broader market but easily remained the market leader.

Mercedes and Audi leapfrogged BMW largely due to BMW and Mini statistics being split from 2013 onwards. Although all three so-called premium brands saw lower sales, all three outperformed the wider market confirming that German car buyers may be buying fewer but not necessarily cheaper cars.

Opel and Ford both underperformed the market and swapped ranks again with both marques struggling.

VW-owned Skoda became the most popular imported car brand in Germany during the first six months of 2013. Skoda and Kia outsold Renault, which dropped two places with the weakest performance of the top-ten carmakers.

VW-owned Seat entered the top-ten list, up from fifteenth last year, with very aggressive advertising and pricing in Germany. Seat was the most improved of all the larger brands.

Toyota was struggling again and fell out of the top ten in Germany during the first half of 2013.

The Volkswagen Golf easily maintained its position as Germany’s favorite car model. The Golf is now in its seventh generation and held the top spot in Germany since 1980.

About the author:

Henk Bekker

Henk Bekker is a freelance writer with over 20 years of experience in online writing. His best-selling cars website has been reporting car sales statistics since 2008 with classic car auction prices focusing on the most expensive automobiles sold at public auctions in the past decade. He also owns the travel websites European-Traveler.com and Lake Geneva Switzerland. Henk holds an MBA from Edinburgh Business School and an MSc in Finance from the University of London.