Romania is on the global top of car makers with Duster and Sandero among the best-selling cars

The number of cars sold in the first four months of this year is up 3.4 percent from the same period of 2017, reaching 28.81 million, up from 27.85 million, according to data gathered by JATO, one of the largest companies in automotive business intelligence solutions. The data gathered by JATO covers around 90% of the global total.

The data from 53 markets shows that the growth pace continues thanks to the positive feeling among consumers in the developed and emerging markets. Almost two out if three vehicles sold were in China, USA and Europe, but double digit growth was in India, Brazil and Russia.

China is the leader of new cars with a total of 8.345 million in January-April 2018, up 4.4 percent, followed by USA with 5.46 million (stagnating), Japan with 1.88 million (down 1.3 percent), India with 1.3 million (up 10.0 percent) and Germany with 1.28 million (up 5.1 percent). Top ten is completed by UK with 1.004 million, France with 896,759, Italy with 801,759, Brazil with 737,821 (up 20.5 percent) and Canada with 624,243 cars.

The share of SUVs (sport utility vehicle) was up in the first four months from 30.9 percent t0 34.2 percent from total sales and went up to a record of 9.86 million (+14.8 percent). A good news for Romanian Dacia Duster but also for the small Ford EcoSport.

The best selling car in the world is still the Ford F-Series (F-150, F-250, F-350), with 85 percent of its sales inside the USA. The F-Series sold a total of 336,599 in the first four months. On the second place is Toyota Corrola, sedan version, that sold 309,166 cars and Volkswagen Golf with 291,648 units. Honda Civic is next, with 262,138 cars sold, followed closely by Nissan X-Trail (or Rogue in USA) with 260,301.

On the 43rd place we can find Dacia-Renault Sandero, the small Romanian car, that sold 123,641 cars in the first four months, up 1 percent from last year. Sandero is very close to Audi A4 (126,804 cars sold) and BMW Series 3 (127,146 cars) and exceeds names like Toyota Hillux, Suzuki Swift and Volkswagen Bora.

In the top of the latest launches we find Dacia-Renault Duster on the second place in sales, with a total of 101,128 cars, up 10 percent. This top is lead by Jeep Wrangler, which sold 104,417 cars, up 46 percent from the last year. If Ford EcoSport, the SUV produced at Craiova factory, will be received as Duster is on the main markets, Romania will become an important auto producer in the world.