Europe's new car market down in Q1

The latest analysis from JATO Dynamics, the provider of automotive intelligence, reveals that new car sales in Europe for March declined by 7.1 per cent and were also down 7.5 per cent, year-to-date compared with Q1 2011. While there was growth in the British and German markets, this was countered by reduced sales in France and Italy.

The first quarter of 2012 proved to be challenging across Europe as three of the big five markets continue to find it tough under the current economic conditions. The poor market conditions in Italy were further exacerbated by a car transporter drivers strike which slowed deliveries of new vehicles to dealers last month.

When it comes to brands, the Volkswagen Golf remains Europe’s most popular model, with the Ford Fiesta in second place and the Opel/Vauxhall Corsa in third.