ZAGREB, April 8, 2018 - A total of 6,293 new cars were sold in Croatia in March 2018, which is 2,453 units or 64% more than in the previous month and 873 units or 16% more than in March 2017, according to figures from the Promocija Plus market research agency.
An increase was also observed in the first quarter of the year when 13,893 cars were sold, which is 2,963 units or 27% more than in the same quarter last year.
The best-selling car brand in the first quarter of 2018 was Volkswagen, with 1,778 cars sold and a market share of 12.9%. It was followed by Skoda, with 1,539 cars sold and a market share of 11.12%, and Opel, with 1,462 cars sold and a market share of 10.56%.
The most popular car model was the Skoda Octavia (935 units sold), ahead of the Opel Astra (554), the Volkswagen Golf (526), the Suzuki Vitara (486) and the Renault Clio (450).
Of the total number of vehicles sold in the first quarter of the year, 51.2% were powered by petrol and 46.9% by diesel, while the proportion of electric and hybrid vehicles was negligible.
Car sales have been increasing since the entry into force in January of a new regulation on the calculation of a special tax on motor vehicles, which exempts from taxation new vehicles whose selling price, including VAT, is lower than 150,000 kuna (20,000 euros). Two-thirds of new vehicles sold fall in this category.
