Rise in European new car sales
Sales of new cars in Europe rose by 5.7% to 1.74 million in March but Volkswagen figures dipped again. It marked the 31st consecutive month that sales have risen in the European Union, meaning almost a return to the levels seen in 2007 before the economic crisis.
Sales of VWs fell 1.6% but Volkswagen’s other brands Audi, Skoda, Seat and Porsche all recorded increases. Audi sales were up 8.5% whilst Skoda recorded an 8% increase.
The majority of European countries saw a rise in sales in March but there was disappointing news from Spain where sales of new cars were down 0.7%. Europe’s biggest car market Germany posted flats sales for the month.
Italy, where sales increased by 17.4%, recorded the best growth among Europe’s major markets. France and the UK also posted strong growth of 7.5% and 5.4%, respectively.
