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VW recovers from emissions scandal as European car sales hop 9% in April, The Independent

VW recovers from emissions scandal as European car sales hop 9% in April

Overall group sales at Volkswagen rose Five.3%

• Agnieszka Flak
• Friday thirteen May two thousand sixteen 08:04 BST

The Independent Online

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European car sales rose nine per cent in April, industry data showcased on Friday, with almost all auto manufacturers recording sales increases and Volkswagen’s namesake brand back to growth despite its diesel emissions scandal.

Fresh passenger car registrations in the European Union and European Free Trade Association enlargened to 1.Trio 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.

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“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 two thousand fourteen after a six-year slump during which registrations fell to their lowest in decades. Request has been growing each month since as an improvement in consumer confidence, retail incentives and fresh 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 hopped 13.6 per cent, boosted by strong sales of Jeeps, with European registrations of the SUV brand rising 21.8 per cent in April.

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Overall group sales at Volkswagen, Europe’s largest carmaker, rose Five.Three per cent and request for its core brand was back in growth, rising Two.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.Four per cent from 26.Two 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

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Registrations from the Opel Group, the European division of General Motors, grew 6.6 per cent.

All five major national markets recorded sales increases last month, led by Spain, where registrations leaped 21.Two per cent, followed by Italy, where sales were up 11.Five per cent.

In the very first four months of the year, European registrations enhanced 8.Three per cent to Five.25 million vehicles, ACEA added.

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