This consolidation of the growth so far is determined also by sales 24 percent higher in August 2015 than the same month in 2014.

August 2015 shows substantial increases in the auto market at European level also, most member states reporting increases in the passenger car segment (Germany up 5.6 percent, UK up 6.7 percent, France up 5.9 percent and Italy up 15 percent).

Legal persons are still the main buyers on the market, representing 74 percent of the total sales in the first eight month of the year. However, there is a noticeable decline in this area, APIA saying it is the consequence of the decreasing interest in the Rabla Program (14,000 reservations were made in mid-August of the 25,000 available).

On the other hand, used motor vehicles present increasing interest for buyers, reflected by the increase in used cars import starting Q4 of last year and increasing throughout 2015, with a 12.7 percent rise being recorded during the first eight months (some 157,000 units in 2015 over 140,000 in 2014).

Therefore, there is a 3.07 to 1 ratio between imports of used cars and sales of new ones, relatively similar (3.02 percent) to the one registered during the same period of 2014.

On a national level, in August 2015 there were 4,732 vehicles produced, 19.7 percent less year on year. However, APIA says this decrease is mainly determined by leaves taken this period.

Still, even with the decrease recorded during this month, overall production in the auto market is still 1.8 percent above the one registered the first eight month of the previous year, reaching 256,571 units. Of these, 223,337 were produced by Dacia and 33,234 by Ford. The largest volumes were recorded by Dacia Duster models (105,394 units, 3.7 percent more than in the same period of 2014), followed by Logan (52,075 units, down by 6.3  percent y-o-y), Dacia Sandero (40,721 units, 35.6 percent more than in 2014), Ford B-Max (33,234 units, 13.8 percent less y-o-y) and Dacia Logan MCV (25,147 units, 4.5 percent less than in 2014).

Exports also indicated an increase of 2.4 percent over the same period in 2014, reaching a total of 237,773 units exported in the first 8 months of 2015.

The most exported model was Dacia Duster (103,545 units), followed by Logan (39,526 units), Dacia Sandero (37,467 units), Ford B-MAX (33,092 units) and Logan MCV (24,143 units).

About 93 percent of national production carried out in the first eight months of 2015 was exported, similar to the share registered during the same period last year.

Sales during the first eight month of the year reached a total volume of 75,288 units, with imports increasing 16.8 percent. Passenger cars, which represent 82 percent of this volume (61,500 units), saw an increase of 14.3 percent over the same period of 2014 while commercial vehicle sales went up 32 percent.

First ranking in sales is Dacia, with 21,777 units (35.4 percent of total), followed by Volkswagen with 6,223 units (10.1 percent), 5,502 Skoda units (8.9 percent), Ford with 3,890 units (6.3 percent); 3,707 Renault units (6 percent) and Opel, 2,349 units (3.8 percent).

When it comes to models, Dacia Logan takes the lead with 10,362 units, followed by Dacia Duster with 4,227 units, Dacia Sandero, with 3,778 units, Skoda Octavia, 2,536 units and Dacia Logan MCV, 2,053 units.

Based on type of fuel used, diesel cars continue to dominate the market with a 54 percent share, but sales show a decline starting with the beginning on the year (in January, diesel engines accounted for 67.4 percent of the market).

During the first eight months 272 hybrid cars were sold (of which 19 fully electric), increasing from the 138 units sold in the same period last year, of which only two were fully electric.

In terms of hybrid cars and electric in the first 8 months of this year were sold 272 units  compared with the same period last year, when it sold (of which only two power 100 percent).

Of all cars sold in the first eight months of 2015, 24.9 percent are powered by Euro6 engines (15,320 units), while after the same period in 2014 this figure was at 5.6 percent (3,022 units). In August 2015, over 52 percent of cars had Euro E6 engines, while in 2014 their share was only 9 percent. Euro6 engines have become compulsory starting September 2015.

Of the total cars sold in Romania during this period 33.3 percent are local, 20 percent are imported from Germany, 9.9 percent from the Czech Republic, 7.7 percent from Spain and 7.1 percent from France.

In this context, sales of cars of domestic production rose by 23.5 percent over the same period in 2014, while sales of imported cars have increased to a lesser degree, by 10.1 percent. (source: business-review.eu)