New car registrations in the European Union (EU) increased from last year in April, for the fist time in more than one-and half years, data released by the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA) showed Friday.
Sales of new passenger cars advanced 1.7 percent on an annual basis to around 1.04 million units in April, reversing the 10.2 percent fall recorded in March. The increase was the first since September 2011.
April's upturn was probably driven by the two additional working-days compared to the same month last year, the agency said.
The performance of the car market was divergent among the major member countries. Sales in the United Kingdom climbed 14.8 percent from a year earlier, and the German car market recorded a 3.8 percent gain. Spanish customers purchased 10.8 percent more passenger cars than they did in April 2012.
Meanwhile, car sales in France and Italy decreased 5.3 percent and 10.8 percent respectively from a year earlier.
During the four months ended April, total car sales in the EU decreased 7.1 percent to about 4.03 million units than in the same period a year earlier, data showed.
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