The European new car market grew by 2.9% for the first six months of the year on the back of a record performance in June.

Over the first half of 2018, the European passenger car market grew by 2.9% to reach 8,449,247 units

The data from the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) shows a total of 8,449,247 units were registered in the first half, with demand up in Spain (+10.1%), France (+4.7%) and Germany (+2.9%), although sales contracted in the United Kingdom (-6.3%) and in Italy (-1.4%). The association’s figures also show registrations in the new EU member states increased by 11.4% for the first six months of the year.

The H1 performance across the EU was boosted by a 5.2% rise in June to almost 1.6 million new cars – the highest June total on record to date. Among the five major EU markets, Italy (-7.3%) and the UK (-3.5%) both posted declines, while demand for cars increased in France (+9.2%), Spain (+8.0%) and Germany (+4.2%).