European car sales jumped the most this year in May, new industry data showed today.
Sales were helped by an extra selling day in a number of markets, with volume and premium brands alike posting double-digit percentage growth.
Registrations of new passenger cars in the European Union and the European Free Trade Association increased 16% last month to 1.33 million vehicles, the Brussels-based Association of European Carmakers (ACEA) said.
"Looking ahead, it is expected that the market will maintain its positive momentum," ACEA said in a statement.
The figures were published two weeks after the group more than doubled its forecast for growth in European car sales to 5% from 2%.
The figures also show that five-month deliveries in Europe were up 9.7% to 6.58 million vehicles.
Four of Europe's five biggest markets recorded double-digit sales gains, led by Italy and France where registrations surged 27% and 22% while the region's biggest market Germany posted 12% growth.
Last month's expansion was driven by mass market manufacturers Renault and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles' Fiat brand, jumping 34% and 27% respectively, ACEA said.
Germany's luxury nameplates Daimler, BMW and Volkswagen's Audi also fared well, with the core Mercedes, BMW and Audi brands jumping 15%, 22% and 20% respectively.
Battling to move beyond its diesel emissions test-rigging scandal, Volkswagen's deliveries in its core European market recovered further in May.
VW group sales including the troubled namesake brand, premium flagships Audi and Porsche and Czech division Skoda rose 8.8%, the highest monthly gain in the nine months since the manipulation came to light last September, ACEA data showed.
Registrations from the Opel Group, the European division of General Motors, rose 12%t, while Ford was up 7.8%, ACEA added.
