ZAGREB, February 5,2018 – In January 2018, 3,706 new passenger cars were sold in Croatia, up 30.8% on the year, and the increase is attributed to excise and VAT changes for companies, whose full impact is expected in the months ahead, the Promocija Plus market research agency said on Monday.
The number of new cars sold was the highest since 2009, the agency said, adding that the number of imported used cars was also rising.
The January surge in sales was a result of a significant fall in new car sales in December 2017 due to the announcement of a new excise tax system and VAT calculation for companies. Under tax changes in force as of January 11, new cars whose sale price plus VAT does not exceed 150,000 kuna are exempt from paying vehicle tax, which is two in three new cars sold.
Volkswagen sold the most vehicles in January, 536, cornering 14.4% of the market. Skoda was second with 521 vehicles sold and a 14% market share, while Suzuki was third with 289 vehicles sold and a 7.8% market share.
Of the premium brands, 146 new Audis were sold in January, 129 BMWs, 50 Mercedes cars and five Porsches.
As for used cars, 5,325 were imported, up 24.6% from January 2017.
