Demand for new passenger cars in Europe rose in April for the first time since September 2011, thanks to an average of two more working days than in the same period last year, data from the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) showed on Friday.
In April, a total of 1,038,343 new passenger cars were registered in 26 EU countries (excluding Malta), which is 1.7 percent more than in April last year. In March, the number of registrations decreased by 10.2 percent year-on-year.
Germany registered 284,444 new cars last month, or 3.8 percent more than in the same month last year, reclaiming its position as the largest European market, which was taken by the United Kingdom the previous month, where 163,357 new cars were registered in April, an increase of 14.8 percent compared to April last year.
Spain also recorded growth of 10.8 percent, with 62,317 new registered vehicles.
Other major markets saw a decline, with France registering 5.3 percent fewer new cars and Italy 10.8 percent fewer.
In the first four months of this year, 4,026,946 new cars were registered in 26 EU member states (excluding Malta), which is 7.1 percent less than in the same period in 2012.
The United Kingdom was again a bright spot, with an increase in demand in the first four months of 8.9 percent compared to the same period a year earlier. Other major markets recorded declines ranging from 12.3 percent in Italy and France, to 8.5 percent in Germany, and 6.7 percent in Spain.
