Volkswagen, followed by BMW-Mini and Mercedes, was the most popular car brands in Germany during the first six months of 2012.
The German car market expanded slightly during the first half of 2012 with Volkswagen easily remaining the best-selling car brand. BMW-Mini, Mercedes, and Audi maintained their positions while Opel pushed Ford down to six best-selling car manufacturer in Germany. Hybrid and electric models remain a very small factor in the German passenger car market.
The German Car Market in 2012 (January to June)
Germany saw 1,634,401 new passenger vehicle registrations during the first half of 2012. The market thus grew by only 0.7% but strong growth in June (+2.9%) gives hope for a positive year.
Alternative energy cars remain a very small percentage of the German automobile market. During the first half of 2012, only 1,419 new electric and 9,232 hybrid cars were registered in Germany.
The total new-vehicle market in Germany for the first half of 2012 was 1,908,895 units (+0.4%).
Best-Selling Car Brands and Manufacturers in Germany in 2012 (First Half)
The top-selling car brands and makes in Germany from January to June 2012, according to car sales statistics released by the KBA, were:
|  | Total January to June 2012 | % Market Share | % Change from 2011 | |
| 1 | VW | 357195 | 21.9 | 0.9 |
| 2 | BMW, Mini | 148811 | 9.1 | -0.7 |
| 3 | Mercedes | 146060 | 8.9 | 5.7 |
| 4 | Audi | 135071 | 8.3 | 8.1 |
| 5 | Opel | 118607 | 7.3 | -9.3 |
| 6 | Ford | 112260 | 6.9 | -4.5 |
| 7 | Skoda | 78193 | 4.8 | 4.6 |
| 8 | Renault, Dacia | 77517 | 4.7 | -4.4 |
| 9 | Hyundai | 52830 | 3.2 | 17.4 |
| 10 | Toyota, Lexus | 44216 | 2.7 | 10.4 |
| 11 | Fiat | 40888 | 2.5 | -9.7 |
| 12 | Peugeot | 40443 | 2.5 | -9.6 |
| 13 | Citroen | 35102 | 2.1 | -2.1 |
| 14 | Nissan, Infiniti | 35009 | 2.1 | -5.5 |
| 15 | Seat | 31719 | 1.9 | 8.6 |
| 16 | Kia | 27711 | 1.7 | 50 |
| 17 | Mazda | 22705 | 1.4 | -4.5 |
| 18 | Volvo | 17871 | 1.1 | -1.3 |
| 19 | Suzuki | 16951 | 1 | -5.5 |
| 20 | Smart | 15872 | 1 | -3 |
| 21 | Chevrolet | 15616 | 1 | 5.6 |
| 22 | Mitsubishi | 13014 | 0.8 | -20.3 |
| 23 | Honda | 12508 | 0.8 | -17 |
| 24 | Porsche | 11507 | 0.7 | 23.3 |
| 25 | Land Rover | 5709 | 0.3 | 82.2 |
| 26 | Subaru | 4494 | 0.3 | 18.5 |
| 27 | Alfa Romeo | 4434 | 0.3 | -26.6 |
| 28 | Others | 4319 | 0.3 | Â – |
| 29 | Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge | 3578 | 0.2 | 40.8 |
| 30 | Lancia | 1916 | 0.1 | 154.4 |
| 31 | Jaguar | 1656 | 0.1 | 8.1 |
| 32 | Daihatsu | 619 | 0 | -69 |
| Total | 1,634,401 | 100 | 0.7 | |
| Source: KBA | ||||
Changes in the Top-Selling Cars and Brands in Germany in 2012 (First Half)
There were only very limited changes in the composition of the list of the top-ten best-selling car brands in Germany during the first six months of 2012.
Volkswagen (VW) maintained its traditional position at the top of the list. Germany, and Europe’s, favorite car brand sold more than double the number of cars moved by second-place BMW-Mini. With over a fifth of the German car market, even the change of Volkswagen’s top-selling Golf model at year’s end will not endanger VW’s top position.
Both Mercedes and Audi had a strong start to 2012 with new models arriving in the second half of the year promising further growth for these premium brands. In contrast, Opel and Ford both saw significant decreases in the number of cars sold with Ford losing one position compared to the first quarter of 2012.
Mixed Results for Imported Cars in Germany in 2012 (First Half)
VW-owned Skoda overtook Renault-Dacia to become the most popular imported car brand in Germany. Hyundai (+17%) continues to make inroads in the German car market (+17%) with Toyota also showing recovery from a very difficult 2011.
Of the major car manufacturers, Kia showed the strongest growth with an increase in sales of 50%. In contrast, Japanese manufacturers, with the exception of Toyota and Subaru, all saw fewer sales in Germany.
Lancia’s growth (+154%) is mostly due to a change in the composition of car brands in the Fiat group while Land Rover (+82%) benefited from the popularity of especially the Evoque. SUVs in general saw continued popularity in Germany during 2012 (+17%). Porsche (+23%) is also enjoying a good start to 2012. Daihatsu’s decline (-69%) is due to the Japanese manufacturer’s withdrawal from the German car market.
The Volkswagen Golf – to be replaced by the end of the year – easily remained the most popular car model in Germany during the first half of 2012.
