Romania 1Q New Car Registrations Up 10% On Year

04.11.2011 ZF English

Romanian new car registrations went up 10% on the year to 9,679 units in the first quarter, despite a 6% fall in March, Interior Ministry data showed Monday.

Romanian new car registrations went up 10% on the year to 9,679 units in the first quarter, despite a 6% fall in March, Interior Ministry data showed Monday.

There were 3,793 cars registered in March, compared to 4,027 units in the same month a year earlier, the ministry's license and car registration division said. However, registrations were up 17% from 3,238 units in February.

Total vehicle registrations grew 7.8% on the year to 5,826 units in March, fueled by a surge in commercial vehicle registrations, which more than doubled, at 1,071 units.

Dacia, made locally by French Renault's unit Dacia Automobile, was the best-traded brand on the local new cars market with 880 units in March, up 5.2% on the year, followed by Skoda with 490 and Volkswagen with 449 units.

On the other hand, used car registrations continued their downward trend, following the sharp increase in registration taxes as of the beginning of the year. In March, used car registrations fell 60% on the year, to 5,196 units. In the first quarter, there were 31,439 used cars registered, down 11% from the year-earlier period.

In 2010, new car registrations in Romania fell 18.5% on the year to 94,541 units.