EU Volkswagen registrations decline in October as emissions cheating scandal starts to take its toll
The number of Volkswagens rolling onto Europe’s roads declined in October, a sign that the continent's most popular car brand was losing favour in the wake of the emissions cheating scandal.
New Volkswagen registrations across the EU reached 136,345 in October, down 0.2 per cent on the same month last year, according to figures released this morning by the European Automobile Manufacturers Association.
The fall in sales compares with gains in sales for BMW, Ford, Fiat, Hyundai, Kia and Volvo – to name just a few.
Registrations of Vauxhall, Nissan and Toyota vehicles also declined.
Overall October registrations in the EU were up 2.9 per cent when compared to the same month last year.
Meanwhile, the number of new cars registered in the EU so far this year is 10,650,747 up 8.2 per cent on the same period in 2014. The strong rise in sales indicates that the EU economy is in fairly decent shape, with consumers confident about making big purchases. Easy financing conditions have also helped drivers to borrow more, industry experts have said.
Of the Eurozone’s big four economies, registrations in Germany and France climbed more than five per cent while in Italy and Spain they soared 14.7 per cent and 20.5 per cent, respectively.
The number of cars registered in Iceland so far this year is up a whopping 42.1 per cent on last year.