Table of Contents
Overview
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- What you need to know
- Issues covered in this Report
Executive Summary
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- The market
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- Figure 1: Total new car registrations, NI and RoI, 2014-19
- Forecast
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- Figure 2: Indexed total new car registrations, NI and RoI, 2014-24
- Market factors
- UK/NI consumers see the cost of buying a car increase
- Personal contract purchasing a popular source of car financing
- RoI introduces ‘diesel tax’ in 2019
- Irish consumers see finances weaken in 2018
- Companies and innovations
- The consumer
- Ownership of cars high in NI and RoI
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- Figure 3: Ownership of a car, NI and RoI, December 2018
- Figure 4: Reasons why consumers do not currently personally own a car, NI and RoI, December 2018
- Second-hand cars popular in RoI
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- Figure 5: When consumers bought their car, and if it was new or second-hand, NI and RoI, December 2018
- Engine type of future car tied to region
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- Figure 6: Desired fuel type for future car purchase, NI and RoI, December 2018
- High level of concern about device usage when driving
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- Figure 7: Agreement with statements relating to cars, NI and RoI, December 2018
- What we think
The Market – What You Need to Know
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- New car sales continue to fall in 2018
- Cost of new cars rises in NI, falls in RoI
- Budget surcharge to increase price of diesel cars in RoI
- Irish consumers are less secure financially
Market Size and Forecast
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- New car registrations fall in 2018
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- Figure 8: Total new car registrations, IoI, NI and RoI, 2014-24
- Growth to return to new car market from 2020
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- Figure 9: Indexed total new car registrations, NI and RoI, 2014-24
- Used cars being imported to RoI continue to grow
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- Figure 10: Number of used cars imported, RoI, 2014-18
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- Figure 11: Proportion of used (imported) cars vs new car registrations, RoI, 2017 and 2018
- Volkswagen the most popular car brand in RoI
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- Figure 12: New car registrations, by top 10 brands of cars, RoI, 2014-18
- Ford continues to dominate the UK/NI market
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- Figure 13: Manufacturer shares of new car registrations, UK (including NI), 2014-18
- Consumers buying more sustainably fuelled cars
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- Figure 14: Sales of new cars, by fuel type, UK (including NI), 2014-18
- Figure 15: New car registrations, by engine type, RoI, 2014-18
- Larger vehicles grow in popularity
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- Figure 16: Top-selling types of cars (body type), RoI, 2014-18
Market Drivers
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- Car prices rising in UK/NI
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- Figure 17: Car price inflation vs new and second-hand cars, UK (including NI), January 2017-January 2019
- Figure 18: Consumer price index vs car prices, RoI, January 2017-January 2019
- Fuel prices continue to rise in 2018
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- Figure 19: Annualised road fuel prices (monthly), for unleaded petrol and diesel, NI, 2014-18
- Figure 20: Annualised road fuel prices (monthly), for unleaded petrol and diesel, RoI, 2014-18
- Irish consumers’ personal finances squeezed in 2018
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- Figure 21: Financial health of Irish consumers, NI, January and December 2018
- Figure 22: Financial health of Irish consumers, RoI, January and December 2018
- Loans are a key source of funding car purchases
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- Figure 23: Top five reasons consumers took out their most recent loan, NI and RoI, December 2018
- Usage of PCP deals increases in RoI
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- Figure 24: Number of personal contract purchase contracts issued, RoI, 2015 and 2016
- New vehicle testing system introduced in the UK/NI and RoI
- RoI introduces additional diesel surcharge in 2019 Budget
Companies and Brands – What You Need to Know
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- Leading brands focusing on developing more Electric Vehicles
- New showrooms from leading dealerships opening in NI
- Nissan Ireland calls for import ban on pre-2014 cars from the UK
- Toyota hybrids in Ireland recalled after discovery of fault
Who’s Innovating?
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- Audi Ireland dealerships become the first to offer augmented reality
- Car brands respond to changing car ownership model
- Arnold Clark using app to help electric drivers
- Personalised driver health statistics being leveraged from wearable tech
Competitive Strategies – Key Players
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- Agnew Group
- Key facts
- Recent developments
- Audi Ireland
- Key facts
- Recent developments
- BMW Ireland
- Key facts
- Recent developments
- Charles Hurst
- Key facts
- Recent developments
- Donnelly Group
- Key facts
- Recent developments
- Ford Ireland
- Key facts
- Recent developments
- Mercedes-Benz Ireland
- Key facts
- Recent developments
- Motor Service Limited Group
- Key facts
- Recent developments
- Nissan Ireland
- Key facts
- Recent developments
- Opel – Vauxhall
- Key facts
- Recent developments
- Peugeot Ireland
- Key facts
- Recent developments
- Renault Ireland
- Key facts
- Recent developments
- Tesla
- Key facts
- Recent developments
- Toyota Ireland
- Key facts
- Recent developments
- Volkswagen Ireland
- Key facts
- Recent developments
The Consumer – What You Need to Know
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- Most Irish consumers own a car
- NI consumers interested in petrol and diesel cars, AFVs popular in RoI
- Minority of consumers willing to pay for added technology features
Car Ownership and When Last Car was Purchased
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- Majority of Irish consumers own a car
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- Figure 25: Ownership of a car, NI and RoI, December 2018
- Car ownership highest among rural consumers
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- Figure 26: Ownership of a car, by location, NI, December 2018
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- Figure 27: Ownership of a car, by location, RoI, December 2018
- NI consumers most likely to buy new when purchasing a car
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- Figure 28: When consumers bought their car, and if it was new or second-hand, NI and RoI, December 2018
- Young consumers most likely to have recently bought a used car
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- Figure 29: Consumers who own a car, which they bought second-hand less than two years ago, by age, NI and RoI, December 2018
- Car ownership dependent on having a licence
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- Figure 30: Reasons why consumers do not currently personally own a car, NI and RoI, December 2018
- Licence ownership lowest among C2DEF consumers
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- Figure 31: Consumers who do not currently have a driving licence, by social class, NI and RoI, December 2018
Fuel Preference for Future Car Purchase
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- Petrol and diesel cars remain popular, but consumers interested in AFVs
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- Figure 32: Desired fuel type for future car purchase, NI and RoI, 2018 and 2019
- Diesel cars appeal to rural consumers
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- Figure 33: Consumers who would consider buying a diesel engine car in future, by location, NI, December 2018
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- Figure 34: Consumers who would consider buying a diesel engine car in future, by location, RoI, December 2018
- Affluence an impact on future car fuel type
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- Figure 35: Desired fuel type for future car purchase, by social class, NI, December 2018
- Figure 36: Desired fuel type for future car purchase, by social class, RoI, December 2018
Attitudes towards Cars
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- Device usage while driving a concern for Irish consumers
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- Figure 37: Agreement with statements relating to cars, NI and RoI, December 2018
- Affluent consumers loyal to car brands
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- Figure 38: Agreement with the statement ‘The next car I buy will be the same brand as my current car’, by social class, NI and RoI, December 2018
- Environmental concerns see urban consumers use cars less
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- Figure 39: Agreement with the statement ‘Environmental reasons have caused me to use my car less’, by location, NI, December 2018
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- Figure 40: Agreement with the statement ‘Environmental reasons have caused me to use my car less’, by location, RoI, December 2018
- Young drivers will pay for cars with enhanced smartphone compatibility
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- Figure 41: Agreement with the statement ‘I would be willing to pay extra for a car with enhanced smartphone compatibility’, by age, NI and RoI, December 2018
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- Figure 42: Agreement with the statement ‘I am interested in fitting my car with in-car Wi-Fi’, by age, NI and RoI, December 2018
Appendix – Data Sources, Abbreviations and Supporting Information
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- Data sources
- Market size rationale
- Generational cohort definitions
- Abbreviations
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