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Car
sales in Europe's largest vehicle market fell 2.6 percent in
February to 243,602 vehicles, motor vehicle authority KBA said
on Thursday.
Adjusted for one less selling day, car sales would have risen by
about 2 percent last month, according to analysts. However, that
represents a slowdown from a jump of more than 10 percent in
January.
"February dealt a blow to the German new car market," Peter
Fuss, a senior partner and automotive specialist in Ernst &
Young's German practice, said, adding rising inflation and
higher energy costs were deterring buyers.
Diesel models' share of new car sales plunged 11 percent in
February to 43 percent, reflecting similar drops in France and
Spain, and may shrink further in months ahead, Fuss said.
Buyers are shunning diesel car purchases as Germany discusses
driving bans and because of increases in car selling prices
expected on the back of manufacturers' efforts to improve
emissions-control technology, Fuss said.
Stuttgart, home to premium carmakers Mercedes-Benz and Porsche,
has said it will next year ban diesel cars which do not comply
with latest emissions limits from the city on days when
pollution is heavy.
Diesel emissions are in focus following the disclosure in
September 2015 of the Volkswagen scandal involving cheating
software in as many as 11 million cars worldwide which made them
appear cleaner during routine testing.
Other key European markets showed a mixed picture in February
with new car sales up 6.2 percent in Italy, down 2.9 percent in
France and flat in Spain.
(Reporting by Andreas Cremer; Editing by Maria Sheahan/Keith
Weir)
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