European car sales up 5.7% but Volkswagen slump continues

European car sales rose 5.7% in March, industry data showed yesterday, helped by discounts and other incentives, although sales for Volkswagen’s core brand continued to fall in the wake of the emissions scandal.

Nearly every European country recorded growth last month, even though there were fewer trading days than last year when the Easter holiday fell in April, the data from the European auto industry association (ACEA) showed.

Italy recorded the strongest rise of any major market with demand rising 17.4% followed by France where sales increased 7.5%, but sales dipped marginally in Germany, Europe’s biggest car market, and fell 0.7% in Spain.