European car sales up 9%, VW grows after emissions debacle

European car sales rose 9 percent in April, industry data showed on Friday, with nearly all car manufacturers recording sales increases and Volkswagen’s namesake brand back to growth despite its diesel emissions scandal.

New passenger car registrations in the European Union and European Free Trade Association increased to 1.3 million vehicles last month, according to the Brussels-based Association of European Carmakers (ACEA).

“The EU passenger car market posted strong results again, marking the 32nd consecutive month of growth,” the industry group said in a statement. “This is the highest result in volume terms since April 2008, just before the economic crisis hit the automotive industry.”

European car sales returned to annual growth in 2014 after a six-year slump during which registrations fell to their lowest in decades.

Demand has been growing each month since as an improvement in consumer confidence, retail incentives and new product launches lured customers back to the showrooms. Last month's growth was mainly driven by German carmakers Daimler and BMW, rising 21.6 per cent and 11.7 per cent, respectively, thanks to the popularity of their Mercedes and MINI brands, and by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) .

Registrations from the FCA stable jumped 13.6 percent, boosted by strong sales of Jeeps, with European registrations of the SUV brand rising 21.8 percent in April. Overall group sales at Volkswagen, Europe’s biggest carmaker, rose 5.3 per cent and demand for its core brand was back in growth, rising 2.6 per cent in April after dipping 1.6 per cent the previous month.

However, the group's market share in the region slipped to 25.4 per cent from 26.2 per cent as it continued to pay the price of its diesel emissions test-rigging scandal. Other mass market brands grew, but at a single-digit rate, with deliveries from France's PSA Peugeot Citroen and Renault up 5.6 per cent and 5.3 per cent, respectively, and those from U.S. group Ford rising 4 percent.

Registrations from the Opel Group, the European division of General Motors, grew 6.6 percent. All five major national markets recorded sales increases last month, led by Spain, where registrations jumped 21.2 per cent, followed by Italy, where sales were up 11.5 per cent.

In the first four months of the year, European registrations increased 8.3 percent to 5.25 million vehicles, ACEA added.

Reuters