So says JATO Dynamics in its latest analysis of the market, which shows a 10.3% fall in February European new car sales as the market continues to contract.

The company reports that out of the “Big Five” European markets, only Great Britain saw any growth in February. There has been a noticeable increase in the number of private sales and additionally new top-selling models such as the facelifted Ford Fiesta are now in full flow of availability.

In terms of brands, BMW is the only carmaker in the Top 10 to have recorded an increase in year-to-date sales (4.7% higher than the same period in 2012) while none of the Top 10 brands saw an increase in year-on-year sales for the month of February.

Outside the Top 10 the story is similar to January, with Dacia and Mazda being the brands achieving the greatest increases in sales. Honda has seen some success, thanks to the new CR-V model and strong British sales of the Civic, and Jaguar also recorded increased sales in February.

Commenting on the findings, Gareth Hession, vice president, research at JATO, said: ‘The European new car market remains a tough place to do business. The market in Great Britain remains strong, but the rest of the ‘Big Five’ markets are depressed and show no signs of improvement.’

The company’s data also shows that the Volkswagen Golf continues to be Europe’s best-selling car, despite sales falling 0.3% compared to February 2012, and 9.1% year-to-date.

The Renault Clio takes second place, with sales up 17.5% on a year ago thanks to a strong sales start for the latest model. The Volkswagen Polo achieves third place, the Peugeot 208 fourth place and the Nissan Qashqai takes fifth place to complete the Top Five. Meanwhile, Opel/Vauxhall Corsa’s ninth place in the chart means B-segment models account for half of the Top 10 in February.

Mr Hession commented: ‘While the Golf has reinforced its lead over its key C-Segment competitors, the competition at the top of the B-Segment is much closer. Meanwhile the Nissan Qashqai’s performance demonstrates that the crossover is no longer a niche product, but a key part of the European automotive landscape.’