The impact of the WLTP cycle introduction continues to rumble on, albeit on a lesser scale than in previous months.

The EU new car market was down 4.6% in January

Latest figures from the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) show new car registrations fell 4.6% to 1.2m units in January, bringing a slow start to the year. However, it marks a slightly fluctuating path of improvement following the 8.4% decline in December, 8% in November, 7.3% in October and the 23.5% fall seen in September.

The declines came on the back of a particularly strong summer that saw registrations rise 10.5% in July and 31.2% in August as carmakers offered substantial discounts on NEDC-tested vehicles in the run-up to the deadline due to stringent derogation rule.

January’s registrations show demand for new cars fell across almost the entire European Union, including the EU’s five major markets. Spain and Italy posted the strongest declines (down 8.0% and 7.5% respectively), while percentage drops were more modest in the United Kingdom (1.6%), Germany (1.4%) and France (1.1%).