The sale of new cars is not unexpectedly getting another big hit, according to figures from Bovag, RDC and Rai Association. In January 2022, 11.2 percent fewer cars were sold than in the same month last year. And that was not the best month.
Those who had hoped that new car sales would pick up again in 2022 will have to be patient. January was not the best month in that regard. In fact, the Bovag, RDC and the Rai Association, to whom we owe the figures, report that January has not been such a bad month since they reported the sales figures (2007). Compared to January 2021, a minus of 11.2 percent was recorded, while sales that month also came in at 20.04 less than a year earlier.
Last month 30,984 new passenger cars were registered. Remarkable fact: about a tenth of this was fully electric, more than 3,000 units. According to the Bovag, this can be explained by the new subsidy pot that can appeal to both private and business EV buyers. This has given rise to a considerable boost, especially among private individuals, because about two-thirds of the electric cars sold in January were bought by a private individual or put on their doorstep via private lease.
With such a poor first month of sales, we can say that new car sales in 2022 will not show any sign of recovery for the time being. February will not suddenly produce a fundamentally different picture. The trade associations expect a difficult first half year at the very least, partly because of the ongoing chip shortage. Viewed throughout the year, Bovag and Rai Association are still counting on better figures than in 2021, although that improvement will have to come mainly in the second half of the year. The trade associations now estimate the sale of 390,000 new passenger cars in 2022, where the counter last year stood at 323,000 units.
Brands and models
Again, Volkswagen was the best-selling brand in the Netherlands, followed by Toyota at some distance. Particularly striking is the best-selling car of January, which was the Peugeot 2008. It will undoubtedly also play a role that there is an electric version, the e-2008. The brand new Toyota Yaris Cross also performed very well, so that’s an encouraging start for the Yaris’ tall-legged brother. Furthermore, they will be very satisfied with the fourth place at Mini, because we do not often see the Mini (One, Cooper + Electric) so high in the sales figures.
Most popular car brands January 2022
| Brand | Number of new cars sold | Market share |
| Volkswagen | 3.074 | 9.9 percent |
| Toyota | 2.439 | 7.9 percent |
| Peugeot | 2.089 | 6.7 percent |
| kia | 2.064 | 6.7 percent |
| Renault | 1,899 | 6.1 percent |
Most popular models January 2022
| Fashion model | Amount sold | Market share |
| Peugeot 2008 | 697 | 2.3 percent |
| Toyota Yaris Cross | 677 | 2.2 percent |
| Volkswagen Golf | 633 | 2 percent |
| mini | 617 | 2 percent |
| Peugeot 208 | 601 | 1.9 percent |
– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl