European car sales drop in April but remain up for the year

MILAN – European car sales dipped by 6.6 per cent in April due to the impact of the Easter holiday, but remained up overall in the first four months.

The ACEA European carmakers’ association said Tuesday that 1.1 million units were sold in April, with Britain posting a nearly 20-per cent decline. Germany, France and Italy had single-digit slides.

Still, sales for January-April showed a resilient 5-per cent rise.

Stung by the emissions scandal, Volkswagen brand deliveries were down 14 per cent, with its commanding market share dipping below 25 per cent.

Luxury carmaker BMW’s sales were down 6 per cent while Daimler slipped 2.7 per cent. Competitor Audi, part of the VW group, took a 10-per cent hit.

Mass-market competitors fell in the same range: PSA Group down 6.4 per cent, Renault down 2.6 per cent and Fiat Chrysler flat.