European car sales up by 5.9% in October, Renault and Toyota drive increase

Europe's car sales market enjoyed a boost in the month of October, achieving a yearly gain of 5.9%.

Figures released by the European Automobile Manufacturers Association showed that the industry reacted positively to declines across the board in September.

In the European Union and European Free Trade area, registrations jumped past 1.2mn from the 1.17mn in 2016, with Renault and Toyota enjoying particularly profitable months.

See also:

• E.ON and Clever join forces to create 'electric highway' from Norway to Italy
• EU tightens regulations on carbon emissions to drive electric vehicle production
• Read November's issue of the Business Review Europe magazine

Renault's sales increased by 17.6%, mainly due to the popularity of its Dacia brand, while Toyota's registrations leapt by 20.5%. 

All major markets on the continent performed well, with Spain and France (both 13.7%) leading the way from Italy, which registered a sales increase of 7.1% in October.

The United Kingdom slumped, however, with registrations falling by 12.2%. Since the beginning of 2017, car sales in the country have dropped by 4.6%.