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Sweden March 2011: Volvo V70 back on track, 5 Swedes in Top 7
Volvo V70
At 29,527 sales, the Swedish car market is up another 15% this month. The Volvo V70 stays on top and see its share increase to 7.4% at 2,174 sales, and 6.6% over the first 3 months of the year. The Volvo V50 is #2 again, stable at 4.5%, ahead of the VW Golf (4.3%) and the VW Passat (4%), gaining one spot.
The Volvo V60 drops one step again at 2.9% share, down from 3.5% in February and 4.3% in January. It looks like the launch hype has passed for the third best selling Volvo station wagon. The Saab 9-3 is holding relatively well in 6th place, ahead of the Volvo XC60 in 7th, making it 5 Swedes in the Top 7.
Full Top 40 Ranking Table below.
Sweden: 1957-2009 Historical Data now available
The Volvo 940 was #1 in Sweden in the early nineties
Historical data for Sweden spanning the last 50 years has now been uploaded. Witness the most popular Volvos successively take leadership of the Swedish sales ranking: the Amazon, 140 Series and 200 Series up to the 70’s, the 740, 940 and 850 up to the mid 90’s and the V70 up to now.
Saab models appear to have been slightly less successful albeit doing extremely well over the years, notably the 96, 99, 900, 9000, 9-3 and 9-5. Swedish data before 1993 is not detailed so please do get in touch if you have additional information.
Click on ‘Read more’ below the Saab 96 pic for the direct link to these 13 new articles.
The Saab 96 was among Sweden’s best selling cars in the sixties
Sweden February 2011: 3 Volvos in Top 4
At +17% in February, Swedish car sales continue their great run and this month Volvo manages to place 3 models (all station wagons) in the Top 4! The Volvo V70 reclaims its #1 spot (revised figures show it was also #1 in January and not the Golf as originally stated) but with a much lower market share than usual (6.3%).
The Volvo V50 jumps up 5 spots to land #2 with 960 sales (4.6%) and the Volvo V60 slows down already (has it found its long-term level yet?) at 730 sales and 3.5%. The VW Golf is #3 at 4.3% and #2 over the first 2 months of 2011 at 4.9%. A podium 100% Volvo at the end of 2011 is a strong possibility! This hasn’t happened since 1997…
Notice also the Saab 9-3 up 9 spots on January at #6 and the Volvo XC60 strong at #8, making it 4 Volvos in the Top 8. The Nissan Qashqai is up to #13.
Full Top 30 Ranking Table below.
Sweden January 2011: Golf #1, Volvo V60 #3 at 4.3%
The Swedish car market is off to a great start in 2011, with January figures up 24%. Surprise on top: the VW Golf is #1 for the 2nd time in 6 months at 1,074 sales and 5.6%, whereas the Volvo V70 compensate for its extravagantly high December figure with only 876 sales and 4.6%.
In 3rd, the Volvo V60 keeps progressing, from 3.1% in December to 4.3% this month. Could the V60 interrupt the 14 year-long reign of the Volvo V70 over the Swedish market? The answer will lie in the next few months’ figures. January 2011 Top 30 and more commentaries below.
Sweden December 2010: Volvo V60 #3, V70 #1 overall
Volvo V60
The Swedish market finishes a formidable year on a high: +53% in December, and +36% for the full year at 289,477 sales. The Volvo V70 is at stratospheric heights this month with 15.7%, and 8.8% (25,568 sales) over the full year, exactly double the sales of the VW Golf in #2.
However the performance of the month should go to the Volvo V60: it jumps to the 3rd place for its second month of sales with 926 units and 3.1%, establishing itself as a force to be counted with in 2011. Another solid month for the Saab 9-3 in 4th with 3%, whereas the V50 stays in 5th (2.8%), meaning that Volvo places its 3 station wagons in the Top 5 this month!
December Top 20, Full year 2010 Top 50 and commentaries below.
Sweden November 2010: new Volvo V60 at #17
Still extremely dynamic, the Swedish car market grows 33% in November and 34% Year-to-date! The Volvo V70 stays comfortably on top of the ranking with 2,247 sales and 8.4% market share, above its YTD level (8.1%).
The VW Golf has a very strong month in #2 at 4.7%, ahead of a Passat waiting for its new generation at 3% only. Excellent performance of the Saab 9-3 in 4th at 3% vs. 2.1% YTD.
If the Volvo V50 stays relatively weak in 5th at 2.9%, the new Volvo V60 enjoys its first fully fledged month of sales and breaks into the Top 20 in 17th with 428 registrations and 1.6% of the Swedish market.
More commentaries and Full Top 20 Ranking table below.
Sweden October 2010: Volvo S60 in Top 10
The Swedish car market is very dynamic this year, at +21% in October and +34% over 10 months 2010 compared to 2009.
The Volvo V70 once again reaches very high scores at a fantastic 9% market share, well ahead of the VW Passat, still strong at 4.9%, and the VW Golf at a solid 4.2%. The Volvo V50 drops below 3%, possibly due to the imminent arrival of the all-new V60 (slowly getting into gear this month at 121 sales).
The new Volvo S60 achieves the best performance of the month, gaining 12 spots to break into the Top 10 in 8th with 556 sales and a very satisfying 2.1% market share. With the XC60 also delivering excellent results in 7th and 2.2% of the market, Volvo places no less than 4 models in the Top 10 this month!
Full ranking table and more commentaries below.
Sweden September 2010: new Volvo S60 breaks into Top 20
After an unusual month of August that saw the VW Golf take the lead for the first time in years with close to 6% of the market, the Swedish car market is back to normal in September with the Volvo V70 in first position at 7.9% market share, double the score of the #2: the VW Passat.
The VW Golf is back down to 3rd, just ahead of the Volvo V50 and the Kia Cee’d, 4th and 5th at both 3.2%.
There is a newcomer in the Top20 this month: the new Volvo S60 (official Swedish car sales distinguish the old and new versions) sold 363 units at 1.4% of the market and arrives 20th.
Given the Swedish love for Volvo station wagons (see the very high scores of both V70 and V50), it will be very interesting to follow the performance of the new V60, which just got its very first sales this month: 49 units, probably dealership showcars. Is there potential for 3 Volvo wagons in the Top10? We will find this out in the next few months.
Full ranking table and more commentaries below.
Sweden 2009: Volvo V70 and V50 on top, Passat #3
Volvo V70
2009 sees car sales drop 16% in Sweden at 213,408 registrations. Volvo holds the top 2 spots, with the Volvo V70 staying #1 at 20,532 sales and an improved 9.6% share and the Volvo V50 up one spot at #2 with 10,974 sales and 5.1%.
The VW Passat is the best selling foreign model and climbs onto the podium at 8,588 sales, just above the VW Golf 8,497 units, both at 4% share. The Kia Cee’d gains 11 spots to land in 5th and doubles its market share to 2.8%: it is the best performance ever recorded by a Korean model in Sweden. The BMW 3-Series breaks into the yearly Top 10 for the first time at #7.
Full Top 30 Ranking Table: click on ‘Read more’ below the Volvo V50 pic.
Sweden 2008: new Volvo V70 #1, Saab 9-3 & V50 on podium
Volvo V70
Swedish car sales are hit by the GFC in 2008 at -17% with 253,982 registrations. The new generation Volvo V70 smoothly takes the relay of the old gen and comfortably grabs the top spot at 22,070 sales and 8.7% of the market.
The Saab 9-3 stays #2 and the new gen helps it improve its market share to 5% with 12,623 units. It is followed by the Volvo V50, also increasing its share at 4.5% and 11,334 sales. The VW Golf reclaims its best selling foreign model title in 4th position with 4.4% share and 11,198 sales, whereas in 5th, the Audi A4 delivers a best-ever 3% share at 7,509 sales.
Full Top 30 Ranking Table: click on ‘Read more’ below the Saab 9-3 pic.
Saab 9-3
Best Selling Cars - Matt's blog 
