Data from the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) shows that in the first quarter of 2016, new passenger car registrations increased by 8.2%, totalling 3,819,269 million units.

All major markets posted growth, contributing to the overall upturn of the EU market. Italian (+20.8%) passenger car market posted double-digit growth over the period, followed by France (+8.2%), Spain (+6.9%), the UK (+5.1%) and Germany (+4.5%) which also grew during the first quarter of 2016, although at more modest rates.

For March, registrations grew +6.0% compared to March 2015, reaching more than 1.7 million units (1,700,683). In volume terms this result is close to March 2007 levels, just before the economic crisis hit the automotive industry.

Among the major markets, Italy (+17.4%) recorded the strongest performance with a double-digit percentage gain, followed by France (+7.5%) and the UK (+5.3%). Spanish (-0.7%) and German (-0.04%) passenger car registrations remained stable. The ACEA also noted that Easter fell in March this year, reducing the number of sales days, while it was April in 2015.