GROWTH
GLOBALMARKETREBOUND
Worldwideautomobileproduction roseby+3.3% in2014asa result of rising sales (+3.8%).
Production levels remainedparticularlybuoyant inNorthAmericaandAsia.
The recoverywas confirmed inEurope (+5.7%),with theexceptionof Russia,
whereproduction fell by -16% in twelvemonths.
Driven by China, as well as the traditional bigmarkets of North
America and Europe, the global automotivemarket remains ro-
bust.Nearly90millionvehicleswereproducedworldwide in2014.
The International Organization of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers
(OICA)expectsa further improvement in themarket in theorderof
+3% in2015,witha totalof91millionvehiclesbuilt.
Contrastingdevelopment inChina
China, themain driver of the worldmarket, saw this year again
a strong rise in its production (+6.9%). This dynamic conceals,
however, sharply contrasting developments between private
vehicles (PV), which rose by +9.9% (19.7million units) and utility
vehicles, which fell by -6.8% (3.8millionunits). The yearwas also
markedby thedifference insalesbetweendomesticconstructors,
whosePV sales fell by -17%, and the continuinggrowthof foreign
makes, notablyGerman (+27%growth forMercedes, +17% for the
BMW group and +12% for the VW group) but also French (+28%
better for thePSA-Dongfengalliance)andAmerican (+12% forGM).
Mexico isdriving theAmericanmarket
If production for theUnited States andCanada grew globally by
+5% in2014, the reboundhascome fromMexico (+12%)which for
thefirst timebroke the threemillion threshold forunitsproduced
(3.3million). The trend should continue in the coming yearswith
theopeningof thefirstAudiplant inNorthAmerica in2016. In2014,
production in theNAFTAzone (USA-Canada-Mexico)grewby+7%.
12.6millionvehiclessold inEurope
After six consecutive years of decline, Europe returns to growth.
Spain remained the most dynamic market with +18.4% growth,
aheadof theUK (+9.3%) and Italy (+4.2%).Withover threemillion
vehicles sold in 2014 (+2.9%), Germany is still themost significant
market. France, maintaining a pattern of weak growth (+0.3%),
ranked thirdwith1.8millionvehiclessold.
Threecarmakerseachproducing10million
vehicles
On the manufacturers side, Toyota was the world leader once
again this yearwith salesof 10.2million vehicles, closely followed
byVW (10.1million)andAmerica’sGM (9.9million).Still in4thplace
on the podium, with sales of 8.2 million vehicles, the Renault-
Nissanpartnershipemergedas thebigwinner in2014:Nissanand
Daciasalessurgedby+13.1%and+13%, respectively.TheGermans
maintain their momentum: Daimler rose by +8%, BMW by +7.6%
andVWby+6.9%. InFrance,PSAcontinued toadjust itsEuropean
inventory: production fell by -1%but sales increasedby+3.7%. At
theglobal level, theFrenchgroupshowedacumulativeproduction
increaseof+6.2%,drivenbyChina.For itspart,Renaultsufferedas
a result of difficulties in theBrazilian andRussianmarketswhich
affected itsglobalproduction (+0.1%).
LISI 2014
58
LISI AUTOMOTIVE
Economicenvironment
