EU new car sales accelerate in February

New car registration in the European Union rose in February, driven by a strong rebound in crisis-hit countries.

According to figures released on Tuesday by the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association, car sales rose to 924,440 in February, a 7.3% increase year-on-year, marking the 18th consecutive month of growth.

Spain recorded the biggest increase in February, with new car sales ramping up 27% from the previous year, while Italy and Britain recorded growth of 13% and 12% respectively.

Europe’s biggest automobile market, Germany, saw a 6.6% increase, while new car sales in France grew 4.5%.

BMW and Daimler were the pick of the crop among individual brands, with the former registering a 17% increase in new car sales and the latter posting a 13% rise in new registrations, while sales growth at Audi slowed down to 2.9%.

Volkswagen, Europe’s biggest car manufacturer with a 12.4% market share, said sales grew 13%, while Opel was the only brand to report a decline in sales, which fell 7.8%.