New car sales across Europe suffered a record fall during 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic.

More than three million fewer cars were registered across Europe during 2020, a decline of 23.7 percent.

Include EFTA countries and the UK, and the scale of the fall increases to 24.3 percent – with almost 3.9 fewer cars taking to the roads.

The European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) says it’s the biggest yearly drop in car demand since records began.

“All 27 EU markets recorded double-digit declines throughout 2020.

“Among the region’s biggest car markets, Spain posted the sharpest drop (-32.3 percent), followed closely by Italy (-27.9 percent) and France (-25.5 percent).

“Full-year losses were significant but less pronounced in Germany (-19.1 percent).”

The figures mirror the new car market in the UK, which declined 29 percent in 2020.

The worst months were March, April and May, where new car sales fell 55.1 percent, 76.3 percent and 52.3 percent respectively. This was during the peak of the ‘first wave’ of the pandemic.

Registrations slowly recovered, ending 3.3 percent down in December, but it was still an “unprecedented impact” said the ACEA.   

As the UK has now left the EU, ACEA’s core figures are for the EU27.

It also offers broader figures for the EFTA countries (Iceland, Norway and Switzerland), and now the UK.

These show 11.9 million new cars were registered across Europe during 2020 – down from 15.8 million in 2019.

Many car brands suffered above-average declines. Smart registrations were down a staggering 75.8 percent, Mazda was down 41.7 percent and Opel/Vauxhall declined 40.4 percent.

Jaguar declined 39.3 percent and Ford, Britain’s best-selling new car brand, fell 31.7 percent.

The best-performing car brand in Europe during 2020 was Porsche, with registrations declining only 7.6 percent.

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Grey was Britain’s most popular new car colour for the third year running, latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders show.

Almost one in four new cars sold last year were grey – and the popularity of the colour actually grew eight percent over 2019.

Perhaps reflecting the mood of the country in 2020, the second most popular colour was black, with one in five new car buyers choosing the moody hue.

White came third, meaning more than six in 10 new cars sold in 2020 were either white, black or grey.

“2020 was a pretty dark year for the automotive industry and having grey as the top new car colour probably reflects the atmosphere,” said SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes.

Code red

Blue cars did slightly grow in popularity, to take a 16.9 percent share of the new car market. It was well clear of red, which dropped 7.9 percent to take a meagre nine percent share of new car sales.

The last time so few red cars were sold was back in 1997.

Interestingly, white was the most popular car for pure electric cars, while black was top for buyers of plug-in hybrid (PHEV) motors.

White also topped the list for city car buyers, with black the top choice for executive and luxury cars.

The SMMT adds that no fewer than 106 distinct car colours were registered during 2020.

And the least popular new car colour of all? Maroon.

Top 10 car colours 2020

1: Grey (24.4%)

2: Black (19.9%)

3: White (17.4%)

4: Blue (16.9%)

5: Red (9.0%)

6: Silver (7.5%)

7: Orange (1.3%)

8: Green (0.9%)

9: Yellow (0.4%)

10: Bronze (0.1%)

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The Renault 5 will return as a pure electric supermini and the firm has given us our first look at the new EV with the Renault 5 Prototype.

Described as “the rebirth of a cult car, more modern than ever,” the 100 percent electric car pays homage to the top-selling original but with a modern twist.

It’s part of Renault’s plan to ‘reconnect with its past’.

The firm has lofty sales goals for the new electric Renault 5 too, saying it will “democratise the electric car in Europe”.

The bright yellow prototype is proudly based on the original R5, said design director Gilles Vidal.

“This prototype simply embodies modernity, a vehicle relevant to its time: urban, electric, attractive.”

Renault 5 Prototype: in detail

The electric Renault 5 Prototype references the original R5 in numerous ways – and cleverly makes some of them functional.

For example, the bonnet air intake hides the charging hatch; the rear lights included wind-cheating aero flaps and the fog lamps in the bumper are also daytime running lights.

Mr Vidal references the original ‘5’ with the side vent, wheels and rear logo.

Front and rear logos light up and there’s a French flag on the rear-view mirrors to underline the “invented in France” ethos.

Renault says both the front end and textile roof are inspired by the world of furniture and are also “full of French charm”.

The new electric Renault 5 is expected to launch by 2025 and will rival other retro-themed small EVs such as the Fiat 500 Electric, Mini Electric and Honda e.

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Renault is planning to make fewer cars but significantly improve the profit it makes on each one with a new strategic plan called ‘Renaulution’.

The firm will shrink its manufacturing capability down from four million cars in 2019 to 3.1 million by 2025.

Renault will also halve the number of platforms in its model range, from six to three – and is planning to reduce the amount of money it invests in R&D.

By 2023, this will help it generate an operating margin of three percent; by 2025, Renault is targeting a profit of at least five percent.

It also wants to lead in electric cars, with half the cars launched by 2025 being full EVs and 35 percent of its sales being hybrid.

This will include the launch of a retro-themed new all-electric Renault 5.

Renault will plans to have the greenest mix of new car sales in Europe.

“The Renaulution is about moving the whole company from volumes to value,” said Groupe Renault CEO Luca de Meo.

“It is a profound transformation of our business model.

“We’ve streamlined our operations starting with engineering, adjusting our size when required, reallocating our resources in high-potential products and technologies.

“This boosted efficiency will fuel our future line-up: tech-infused, electrified and competitive.”

Dacia and Lada

The Groupe Renault strategic plan also includes the Dacia-Lada and Alpine brands.

Dacia will radically reduce the number of platforms it produces, from four to just one, and move from 18 body types to 11.

Seven new models will be launched by 2025 and there will be the “revival of iconic models”.

This points to the expansion of the Dacia brand into the family hatchback segment – and also the potential reinvention of the famous Lada Niva as part of the planned “revival”.

Dacia will remain “Dacia with a touch of coolness” while Lada will still be “rough and tough”.

Alpine surprise!

The expanded Alpine brand now includes Alpine cars, Renault Sport cars and the Renault Sport Racing F1 team.

There is a 100 percent electric plan to expand the brand, which interestingly includes Renault’s CMF-B platform (as used by the Renault Clio e-Tech Hybrid) and the upcoming new CMF-EV platform.

Renault even included a headline surprise in its plan for Alpine – it will develop a next-generation electric sports car with Lotus.

It will be a return to a partnership with a British sports car brand for Alpine, which originally intended to develop its A110 sports car with Caterham, before buying out the project and going it alone.  

Further details of this have not yet been disclosed.

Ambitiously, Mr de Meo intends for Alpine to be profitable by 2025 – and this will include its investment in motorsport.

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