Switzerland Car Market 2015 was up for the third year in a row albeit shy Q4. Despite a disappointing economic scenario, the industry reported a +7%. Volkswagen was leader while Mercedes and Renault shine.
Economic Outlook
The Swiss economy has decelerated throughout 2015 and recent data showed that Q3’s GDP figures weren’t an exception. After avoiding falling into recession in the second quarter, the economy stagnated in the third quarter. While the disappointing figure was largely attributable to a contraction in fixed investment reflecting a weak performance of the construction sector, the country’s external sector remains fragile due to the overvalued currency and the slow recovery in the country’s main trading partners.
The economy will likely record another weak growth figure in the fourth quarter. In fact, retail sales contracted again in October and the KOF Economic Barometer plummeted to a seven-month low in November.
Market Outlook
The domestic industry sales has decelerated during the Q4 2015 with only a +3% increase over the correspondent period last year. However, the market closed the 2015 with the third increase in a row despite slow economy.
According to data released by the Auto Suisse, the Association of local Automotive Importers, in December car passenger’s sales had been 32.642 -0.7% while the entire 2015 sales had been 323.784, up 7.2%.
During the year, Volkswagen has sold 42.212 cars (+5.1%) with 13.0% of market share followed by BMW with 24.103 (+6.4%) and Mercedes, up 2 spots from 2014, with 22.884 (+24.5%).
Down the podium, Audi, down 1 spot, with 22.225 (+6.4%), Skoda, down 1 spot, with 20.972 (+7.5%), Renault with 14.821 (+26.2%), Opel with 13.769 )+2.9%) and Ford with 13.704 (+5.8%).
At Group wise, Volkswagen ended the 2015 with 31.5% of market share ahead of BMW with 9.0%, Renault-Nissan with 8.8% and Mercedes with 8.1%.
The best-selling model was the Volkswagen Golf with 15.288 sales (+6.4%) ahead of the Skoda Octavia with 12.228 units (+12.7%), the Volkswagen Polo with 7.210 (+22.5%), the Audi A3 with 5.725 (+10.0%) and the Seat Leon with 4.869 (+21.7%).
Tables with sales figures
In the tables below we report sales for all Brands and top 10 Manufacturers Group.
