The Toyota RAV4 is now available as a plug-in hybrid in Europe. Photographer: Kyle Grillot/Bloomberg … [+]
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The prize for the most successful big auto manufacturer in the European Union (EU) for 2020 was Toyota with sales down only 12.8%, followed by a strong performance from Kia of Korea, down 14.8% and BMW at minus 16%, according to data from the European Automobile Manufacturers Association.
Well done one and all for surviving the coronavirus-ravaged market, in which EU sales dived 23.7% to 9.9 million compared with 2019, the association, known by its French acronym ACEA, said.
Stand-out loser of 2020 was Jaguar with sales off 46.7% at 19,000, followed by Mazda at 118,904 down 42.5% and Groupe PSA’s Opel/Vauxhall with 383,917 and 40.3% lower.
ACEA’s statement for 2020 showed every manufacturer with double digit percentage losses, except VW’s “other’s” category, presumably the likes of Lamborghini and Bentley, which managed a single digit fall at minus 6.8%.
Toyota sales totalled 565,221, Kia’s 337,712 and BMW 648,748.
ACEA said the sales fall was a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Containment measures – including full-scale lockdowns and other restrictions throughout the year – had an unprecedented impact on car sales across the European Union.
“2020 saw the biggest yearly drop in car demand since records began, with new-car registrations falling by 3 million compared to 2019. All 27 EU markets recorded double-digit declines throughout 2020. Among the region’s biggest car markets, Spain posted the sharpest drop (-32.3%), followed closely by Italy (-27.9%) and France (-25.5%), while full-year losses were significant but less pronounced in Germany (-19.1%),” ACEA said.
