Brussels, 17 July 2018 – In June 2018, passenger car registrations posted a robust increase (+5.2%) across the EU, totalling almost 1.6 million new cars.  In June 2018, passenger car registrations posted a robust increase (+5.2%) across the EU, totalling almost 1.6 million new cars. In volume terms, this result marked the highest June total on record to date. Results were diverse among the five major EU markets. The United Kingdom (-3.5%) and Italy (-7.3%) both posted declines, while demand for cars increased in France (+9.2%), Spain (+8.0%) and Germany (+4.2%). Over the first half of 2018, the European passenger car market grew by 2.9% to reach 8,449,247 units. The strong performance of the new EU member states is worth highlighting, as registrations increased by 11.4% so far this year. Looking at the major markets, demand went up in Spain (+10.1%), France (+4.7%) and Germany (+2.9%), although sales contracted in the United Kingdom (-6.3%) and in Italy (-1.4%) during the first six months of this year.