Toyota, Fiat Chrysler lead European car sales gain

Reuters: European car sales rose 10.9% in March, led by buoyant demand in the region’s top five markets and strong gains for Toyota, Fiat Chrysler and Nissan, according to industry data published on Wednesday.

Registrations rose to 1.937 million cars last month in the European Union and European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries, Brussels-based industry body ACEA said, from 1.746 million a year earlier. That took first-quarter sales to 4.26 million cars, an 8.2% gain.

Toyota recorded the biggest monthly advance among major auto brands, with an 18.8% sales increase, closely followed by Fiat Chrysler with 18.2% and Nissan with 17.7%.

Volkswagen, the regional market leader, lost ground as its March registrations rose by a market-lagging 6.2%. France’s PSA Group also underperformed with a 6.7% sales increase. Domestic rival Renault fared better, with a 14.4% gain in deliveries.

Germany, Britain, France, Italy and Spain all posted auto sales growth of between 7% and 18%, based on national registrations published earlier this month.