The EU passenger car market started 2017 well, partially due to extra selling days during the month. Registrations grew markedly (+10.2%) compared to January 2016, totalling 1,170,220 units, according to ACEA data.

Among the major markets, Spain (+10.7%), France (+10.6%), Germany (+10.5%) and Italy (+10.1%) recorded very strong performances in January, all posting double-digit percentage gains. The UK passenger car market also grew during the first month of 2017, although at a more modest rate (+2.9%).

Go deeper with GlobalData

Data Insights

The gold standard of business intelligence.

Find out more

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more

Highest growth market was Latvia, up 32.7%.

Volkswagen Group’s sales rose 10.3% with the core brand seeing a rise of 10.8% and Seat up 25.9%. Renault Group volume was up 10.4%, FCA 15%, Ford 9.9%, GM Europe’s Opel/Vauxhall 5.1%, Daimler 14.6%, BMW 10.4%, Toyota 11.9%, PSA 6.8% and Volvo 10.2%.

Among minor players, Suzuki (29.9%) Kia (20.5%) booked healthy rises.

Mazda (-9%), Honda (-7%) and Tata Motors’ Jaguar Land Rover (-2.4%) were among the few whose European sales fell last month.

Just Auto Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Just Auto Technology Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact.

Excellence in Action
Continental has secured the Window Displays Innovation Award in the 2025 Just Auto Excellence Awards for its Window Projection solution, transforming side windows into dynamic, data-rich canvases. Discover how this compact projection technology and intelligent software are reshaping in-car UX and opening fresh revenue streams for OEMs and mobility providers.

Discover the Impact