Sales of new cars in western Europe fell sharply in August as consumers stayed away from showrooms due to the heat wave, stalling hopes of a quick upturn in demand, figures from Brussels-based car maker association ACEA showed on Thursday, according to a Reuters report.
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PSA Peugeot Citroen, Fiat and Mercedes-Benz sales fell sharply in August while Japanese and Korean car makers gained ground as overall sales in the region in the first eight months of the year totalled 9.6 million, a 2.2% drop from a year ago, Reuters said, noting that July sales rose 1.2% and June and July figures had sparked hopes of an upturn.
According to Reuters, ACEA said the performance in August, traditionally a weak month, was exceptional this year due to the heat wave and a delay in purchases in Germany, Europe’s biggest car market, ahead of new models being shown at the Frankfurt motor show which got under way this week.
“August was a bit disappointing but it might be a one-off,” a London-based analyst told Reuters, adding: “We will be looking closely at September as any further fall then would be more alarming.”
