Latest figures from the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) showed that registrations reached 1,273,733 units – the highest result in volume terms since April 2008, just before the economic crisis hit the automotive industry.

Among the major markets, Spain (+21.2%) and Italy (+11.5%) recorded the strongest performances with double-digit percentage gains, followed by Germany (+8.4%), France (+7.1%) and the UK (+2.0%).

Year-to-date, the market is up 8.5%, totalling more than 5 million units (5,094,026). All major markets posted growth. The Italian (+18.6%) and Spanish (+10.3%) passenger car markets saw double-digit growth over the period, followed by France (+7.9%) and Germany (+5.6%). The UK market also grew (+4.4%) during the first four months of 2016, although at more modest rate.