January blues: Sales of new cars in Limerick drop to nine-year low
THE number of new cars sold in Limerick last month was the lowest for any January since 2014 new figures have revealed.
According to the Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI) there was a marginal year-on-year decline nationally while in Limerick there was a reduction of 9.6% compared to January 2021.
A total of 895 new cars were registered in Limerick last month - compared to 990 12 months ago, 1,203 in 2020 and 1,254 in 2019 (before the pandemic).
Of the cars registered in Limerick, the most popular makes and models were Toyota Corolla (68), Hyundai Tucson (47), Toyota Rav4 (43), Ford Puma (33) and Nissan Qashqai (33).
According to SIMI, 67 electric cars were registered in Limerick during January - more than double the figures for January 2021. A further 320 hybrid cars were sold in Limerick last month.
Commenting on the figures, Brian Cooke, SIMI Director General noted that sales of new cars are still 22% behind pre-pandemic levels, largely due to supply chain issues arising from various lockdowns.
"With retailers reporting strong order banks and with expected improvements in supply as the year progresses, this should lead to both an improving new car market and a more even spread of sales in 2022. Also the trade-ins against January new car sales will have increased supply of used car stock, which means greater variety and volume for interested used car buyers in the weeks ahead," he said.