In total, 125,917 vehicles were registered last month, down 3,968 sold units on the same month last year.

Year to date, 319,092 vehicles have been registered – down 16.8% on the figures of 383,691 for the same period last year.

Joerg Schreiber, chairman of the AEB Automobile Manufacturers Committee, commented: “March sales result demonstrates that the automotive market as a whole is not in good shape yet although gradually moving closer to hitting a bottom after many months of continuous decline. Further progress in this direction largely depends on the stability of the macroeconomic environment and the continuity of government efforts in stimulating market demand in the coming months.”