Now the premiums are limited to 700 euros

Phew! With a particularly intense commercial activity during the last three days of March, appearances are saved. On the month, new registrations posted a 17.9 increase in raw data, according to the Committee of French automakers (CCFA), ending at nearly 243.000 units, then the professionals dealt a few days earlier for a figure of barely 210,000 deliveries.

End-of-month, dealers were indeed registered cars in turn arm, to benefit their customers last premium in the case of 1,000 euros. Premiums for the ordered cars current 2009 and delivered no later than March 31. Now, the premiums are limited to 700 euros.

Many groups benefit from this coup de collier"circumstance. SAP sees sales increase of 15.9 in March and the Group Renault to 27.6. But mainly through its subsidiary Dacia which takes off of... 280, when the diamond mark merely a breakthrough 5, lower than the market. With small Sandero, which represents 70 of its sales, Dacia became the fourth brand on the French market, doubling Ford and Volkswagen in March! "And 4 4 Duster, which has already more than 1,000 orders in France, will soon take over", according to Bernard Cambier, Director commercial France of Renault.

Increased competition

Foreign groups benefited from this context of "ballot-stuffing", particularly those who are well positioned on small cars: Ford takes off 27, 31 and 93 Nissan Opel. In total, foreign brands saw their climb of 27 deliveries last month against an increase of 11 for the French out of Dacia. Throughout the first quarter, the French market has risen 17, compared it is true at the beginning of 2009 marked by a historic low. At the time, person not to venture into optimism, feeling while the storm thunders after the party. "The competition is tough since the beginning of the year." "In addition to the induction of a price war which does not yet name and will inevitably result in a pinch of the margins of the construc indicators, already highly degraded, customers are beginning to desert motor concessions", according to Philippe Gattet, Xerfi Cabinet.

"We are not out of the economic crisis", recognizes Olivier Veyrier, the new Director France Peugeot. Even if he thinks still have a tank of customers for its brand, "the French market should fall this year of 8-10". Currently, he said, the composition of sales tends to go up the mid range, and the average selling price improves approximately 500 or 600 euros per car. In the commands, which prefigure the deliveries of the two or three months, the share of business tends to wake up, but it is far from compensate for the significant decline in individuals.

After the simultaneous falls of German and Italian (and soon British) markets, French groups are increasingly dependent on the situation in France. At the time, Renault are leaves not gray. "As we have said, the market is poised for a second much more difficult than the first half, note Bernard Cambier. Throughout the year, we envision a decline of 12, to finish 2010 around 2 million cars. This implies an average fall of the market of 22 from now.