Source:ACEA

5 MARCH 2011

New PASSENGER CAR REGISTRATIONS in the European Union (EU 27) turned positive for the first time in over a year and climbed +0.9% in February month-on-month to 981 429 vehicles as France and Germany, the Union's largest markets, stayed on positive trends and in sync for two consecutive months. New registrations rose +15.2% in Germany to 224 426 units and in France +13.2% to 204 400 new cars as incentives, initiated by auto manufacturers to compensate for the car fleet schemes, boosted automobile markets locally. By contrast, new registrations in Italy stayed in the red and for the tenth uninterrupted month while Spain's worsened and dived -27.6%, a new drop and for the eighth month due to households concerns over a potential financial sector's bail-out. In the UK, new registrations moved up but remained in negative territory to -7.7% to 63 424 new units.

East European member states bounced back with new registrations up +12.1% to 55 157 new vehicles fuelled by all member states positive performances and led by the Czech Republic +15.9% to nearly  13 000 new units registered. Poland, the largest eastern zone economy, recorded +1.2% new passenger car registrations to 21 885 units, followed by Slovakia, Slovenia and Romania exceptional surges, respectively +10.7%, +38.2%, and +21.8%

EFTA countries +19.1% or an additional 33 090 new vehicles registered, added to the Union's revival with new units up +20.5% in Switzerland to 22 417 followed by Norway +15.9% to 10 543 and by Iceland +68.8% to 130 units.

Two months into the year and compared with a year earlier, new registrations in the EU 27 dipped -0.3% dragged down mechanically by Italy, Spain and the UK while France and Germany offset a stronger market decline with registrations rising respectively +10.8% to 389 921 units and +15.8% to 435 482 new cars. East European member states over performed the Union with new registrations climbing +10.1% thanks to all countries positive figures. EFTA's +13.4% saw Switzerland's +14% new registrations total over 40 000 new units.

On the same period, and per manufacturer, VW, GM Group, BMW, Daimler, Nissan, Hyundai, Volvo, Mitsubishi and Jaguar land Rover remained in the top ten list. PSA Group's -4.2% new registrations decline to 281 884 vehicles shed one percentage point market share to 13.9% as consumers switched to smaller foreign models. Renault Group's new registrations fell -1.6% to 219 204 units while market penetration edged down to 10.8% (from 11%) thanks to Dacia's +9% leap, allowing the Group's model and best of class market share to each up to 1.9%, with over 37 000 new vehicles.