European Sept car sales up 1.1 pct
In the year so far, total new car registrations are down 0.8
percent at 10.46 million vehicles in the EU and European Free
Trade Area (EFTA), according to figures from the European
industry association ACEA.The German market grew by 8.1 percent, while sales fell in
Britain, Spain, France and Italy.In September, Germany’s Volkswagen was the
biggest winner, helped by almost 20 percent sales growth at its
luxury brand Audi, giving the group a market share in the region
of 23.2 percent.BMW sales rose 6.8 percent, while Daimler’s Mercedes-Benz brand lost some market share.Korean brands Hyundai and Kia grew
by 18.7 percent and 27.1 percent, respectively, falling short of
Nissan’s 30.8 percent gain.By comparison, Honda saw its sales drop by 14.8
percent, and Mazda was also badly hit. Toyota
sales in the region dropped 9.2 percent.Sales at GM’s Opel fell 5.9 percent in September,
while Ford’s sales eased 0.3 percent.The three French brands Renault , Peugeot
and Citroen also all lost market share in September, and Fiat
group sales fell 7.8 percent.
