Top performer by volume growth in the first half was Dacia, more than 1,100 units for a total 11,000 new cars registered or an 11% growth on the year-earlier period, according to the Driver License and Vehicle Registration Department (DRPCIV) data.
Second top performer was Volkswagen, with 20% growth in volume (520 cars).
VW is the best-selling imported car brand in Romania, having delivered 4,366 cars in the first half, 11% more than in the same time last year. The drivers of the growth were the launch of the new Passat, which saw sales up 25% to 724 cars and the Tuareg and Tiguan SUVs, whose sales rose by 27% and 12%.
Third in the volume growth ranking is Kia, which sold 350 more cars. The South-Korean brand also saw registrations go up 133% to 614 units.
The top ten ranking by volume growth also includes two premium brands, Mercedes-Benz, up almost 220 units or 21% to 1,260 units and BMW, up 86 cars or 10% to 933 units.
In all, the top ten car brands contributed almost 3,500 units to the overall 4,000 unit growth. A number of 14 brands lost almost 730 units of their sales volume. The brands to post the worst declines were Suzuki, Opel and Chevrolet. Chevrolet officially left Europe last year.
(English version by Loredana Fratila-Cristescu)