What emissions crisis? European new car registrations jumped in September – and people were desperate for Volkswagens
While politicians and those at the top of Volkswagen wring their hands in anguish over the emissions cheating scandal, it turns out the rest of Europe just sort of shrugged and got on with it, after new figures showed the number of new VWs registered in Europe jumped 8.3 per cent in September.
Lest we forget, the VW emissions scandal broke in mid-September…
Read more: VW boss says it can "shine again"
Figures by the European Automobile Manufacturers Association, published today, found the number of new cars registered in September rose 9.8 per cent, the figure's 25th consecutive growth.
Spain led the way, with a 22.5 per cent jump in registrations, while Italy followed, with a 17.2 per cent rise. Meanwhile, new car sales rose 8.6 per cent in the UK – and 4.8 per cent in Germany, the epicentre of the crisis.
VW, which includes Audi, Skoda, Seat and Porsche, retained its position as Europe's most popular car manufacturer, with 315,905 units sold during September, up from 291,424 during the same month last year.
PSA group, which owns Peugeot, Citroen and DS, came second, with 127,647 new cars registered, while Renault came third, with 103,423 registrations.
But despite the strength of European sales during September, analysts have warned that car manufacturers could be hit by the crisis. This week credit ratings agency Standard & Poor's suggested car makers could be "in crisis" , with heightened scrutiny of emissions and economic woes in China putting pressure on revenues.
