Number of new cars registered in July falls
The number of new cars registered in July fell by 8.4%, when compared with the same month last year.
New figures released by the Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI) show that 24,685 new cars were sold last month.
They revealed that 9,384 used cars were imported into the country, up 16% on July 2018.
735 electric vehicles were registered last month, which is almost double compared with July last year.
The top-selling car brands for July 2019 were:
- 1. Volkswagon
- 2. Toyota
- 3. Hyundai
- 4. Ford
- 5. Skoda
The top-selling car models for July 2019 were:
- 1. Toyota Corolla
- 2. Hyundai Tucson
- 3. Nissan Qashqai
- 4. Skoda Oktavia
- 5. Volkswagon Tiguan
In releasing the new figures SIMI has called on the Government to address the issue of the older UK imports coming into Ireland.
"The 192-registration period is generally a period of upturn for new vehicle sales however July has replicated the first 6 months of the year and proved a disappointing month for new cars, down over 8% on last year," said Brian Cooke, SIMI Director-General.
"There continues to be a surge in used car imports, the majority of which are coming from the UK.
While Brexit is clearly a factor in this increase, Ireland’s taxation system overburdens new cars, causing motorists either to hang on to their older smokier cars or look to the UK for an older import.
"Over the last 3 years we have imported 150,000 cars that do not meet the latest EU emission standards, which in effect means Ireland has become the dumping ground for older cars the UK doesn’t want.
"This is not only bad news for Irish retailers and their employees, but also bad news for Ireland’s environment."
