Renault, Volkswagen, Peugeot, BMW and Mercedes are still the best selling brands as sales of new cars in Portugal maintains growth.
In October 11,041 vehicles were shifted from dealership forecourts, 24% more than in the same period last year and a welcome relief to the car trade which has seen sales figures so low that many dealers have simply ceased trading.
According to the Automobile Association of Portugal (ACAP), "the market returned to growth in October, in line with growth in the previous four months."
The association points out that "the market is well below the 2011 level and previous years, with the volume of sales last year categorised as ‘abnormally low.’
Between January and October 102,826 vehicles were sold in the domestic market, a growth of 7.4% over the same period of 2012.
According to Helder Pedro, secretary general of the ACAP, the forecast for next year is for a similar performance.
