Car importers boast over 60% average growth in Q1

The sales of automotive importers indicate, in the first quarter of this year, an increase of more than 60% compared with the same period last year, while the results of domestic manufacturers indicate a decline of 8%. The preliminary commercial results of the main players on the domestic automotive market exceeded the forecasts they made at the beginning of the year, when they predicted a moderate growth of 10%. Porsche Romania, the top importer in terms of volume witnessed a 49% growth for the five brands in its portfolio. The positive trend, mainly generated by the medium-priced brands allowed the company to exceed its own growth estimates, which stood at around a 15% yearly average last month. The forecast of the importer for the full-year sales now points to 50,000 units, compared with around 47,500 units set as target at the beginning of the year. Next in the ranking of importers are General Motors and Toyota, whose margins are close to 86%. In the case of GM, Opel moved the performance of the brand forward selling 3,809 cars. The Astra Classic was the top-seller in terms of volume, followed by the small Corsa, with a leap in sales of 164% totalling 894 orders. Toyota representatives said sales in the first quarter received a major boost from the launch of the Corolla sedan and Auris models.