In the Netherlands, the sale of new cars was on the rise again last year, but in Spain things are completely different. That again fell considerably. Meanwhile, the Spaniards opt for old cars much more often.
The growth in new cars on Spanish roads is shrinking considerably. In 2019, nearly 5 percent fewer new cars were sold to private individuals than a year earlier. This is continuing a trend in Spain and it was again disappointing in the first month of this year. According to the ANFAC (the local car manufacturer association), the brands must be worried, because in Spain ‘a strong preference has been given for used cars’. In fact, sales of cars 20 years and older increased by no less than 17 percent compared to 2018 last year.
The cost tag will of course play an important role in the preference for older cars. Spain was hit hard by the most recent economic crisis, so it is possible that people on average have less to spend there. In general, new cars are not exactly more affordable.
The brand that still did good business in Spain despite this trend was the ‘own’ Seat. That is still proudly number 1 in the sales figures. In 2019, just under 112,000 new Seats went to their first owner, 4.8 percent more than a year earlier. The numbers two, three and four (Peugeot, Volkswagen and Renault) saw their sales numbers fall in 2019.