European Auto Sales Jump to Nine-Year High as Renault Gains
- Registrations rose 6.5% to 15.1 million cars, association says
- Fiat Chrysler jumped 14% to take market share from Volkswagen
Customers inspect the interior boot space of a new Renault Megane automobile for sale inside a Renault SA dealership in Madrid.
Photographer: Angel Navarrete/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
European car sales rose to a nine-year high in 2016, with French manufacturer Renault SA taking advantage of recovering demand and Volkswagen AG’s tarnished reputation to leap to second place from third in the region.
Industrywide registrations increased 6.5 percent to 15.1 million vehicles, the highest level since the 2007 peak, the Brussels-based European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association, or ACEA, said Tuesday. Regional leader Volkswagen lost market share with a 3.3 percent sales gain as demand at its namesake brand declined amid the fallout of the emissions-cheating scandal.