Europe's new car registrations declined for the sixth consecutive year in 2013, as recovery in demand over the second half of the year was insufficient to offset deep contractions seen in earlier months.
New car sales dropped 1.7 percent to 11.8 million units in 2013, data published by the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association or ACEA showed Thursday.
In terms of annual volumes, ACEA said 2013 was the worst year since 1995, when data was compiled for 15 EU countries, and the worst ever since it began the series in 2003 with the enlarged EU.
PSA Peugeot Citroen sales plunged 8.4 percent in 2013 and Italy's Fiat suffered a 7.1 percent decline. General Motor's sales were down 4.3 percent and that of Ford slipped 3.2 percent. On the other hand, sales of Renault grew 4.4 percent and that of Jaguar Land Rover by 9.7 percent.
Meanwhile, overall car registrations in December alone increased at the fastest pace since end-2009, driven by price reductions offered by manufacturers. Sales grew 13.3 percent from the previous year, which was the fourth consecutive annual rise.
Nonetheless, the results were the third lowest to date for a month of December with a total of 906,294 units, ACEA said.
Most EU markets reported growth in December. Sales surged 23.8 percent in the U.K. and by 18.2 percent in Spain. In France and Germany, registrations advanced 9.4 percent and 5.4 percent.
According to the U.K.'s Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders data, car sales in the U.K. hit a six-year high in 2013. The group forecast U.K. car registrations to remain stable in 2014 as customers return to a more regular replacement cycle.
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