In January, 4,163 new passenger vehicles were registered in Croatia, while in the same period last year, 3,083 passenger vehicles were registered, which is 42.5 percent more.
At the very beginning of the year, trends that have long prevailed in Western Europe were reflected in the domestic market. The decline in car sales is not attributed to a lack of money in the market but is justified by the caution of buyers who have decided to postpone car purchases for some time due to the financial crisis. – It could also be said that this month’s results are mainly a consequence of the transfer of the crisis from media reports, which has spilled over into conversations in our homes and offices, and so far only partially real economic disruptions. Among these non-psychological factors are certainly the less favorable conditions for financing car purchases by banks and leasing companies, say Promocija plus.
The decline in the number of registrations is also a result of another phenomenon. Namely, due to weaker sales in December, fewer registrations were carried over into 2009 than was the case in previous years. In January, about half of the total registrations are usually carried over from December. Specifically, cars are purchased in the last month of the year but are registered in January to create the impression that the vehicle is one year younger. This January, that effect was partially absent due to weaker sales in the second half of December. Thus, only February will show the true picture, i.e., the extent of the impact of the crisis on vehicle sales in our country. Despite weaker sales, the best-selling brands among passenger cars in the domestic market remain Opel, Renault, and Volkswagen. In addition to the decline in registrations of passenger vehicles, registrations of used vehicles fell by 38 percent compared to January 2008. In the same period, there was also a decline in registrations of new light commercial vehicles by 46.7 percent, reports Promocija plus. (A. L.)
