Brussels, 15 February 2018 – In January 2018, demand for passenger cars in the European Union grew significantly (+7.1%) compared to January last year – benefitting from a positive calendar effect. In January 2018, demand for passenger cars in the European Union grew significantly (+7.1%) compared to January last year – benefitting from a positive calendar effect. New car registrations amounted to 1,253,877 units during the first month of the year. Nearly all major EU car markets posted growth, except for the United Kingdom (-6.3%), which saw car sales decline for the tenth consecutive month. Spain (+20.3%) and Germany (+11.6%) recorded the strongest gains, followed by Italy (+3.4%) and France (+2.5%).