European new car sales rose 6.2% in October from the same time last year as premium leaders including the Volkswagen and BMW groups recorded stronger demand in key markets.
Passenger-car registrations in the European Union and the countries of the European Free Trade Area (EFTA) increased to 1.113 million vehicles last month.
This was up from 1.047 million a year earlier, the Association of European Carmakers (ACEA) said today.
Demand picked up in all major countries except France and rose in seven of the region's top-10 markets, according to ACEA.
Europe's car market has grown for 14 months in a row after a six-year slump but remains well short of its peak before the financial crisis.
But the 6.5% gain in the 28-nation EU was the second-highest percentage increase in a month of October in that region in the past eight years, the data showed.
Germany, Europe's biggest single market and home of VW, BMW and Daimler was up 3.7% to 275,320 while second-placed UK jumped 14.2% to 179,714.
By contrast, Europe's third biggest France slipped 3.8%, a reflection of near-stagnant growth in the euro zone's second-biggest economy.
Year-to-date deliveries in the EU plus EFTA region rose 5.9% to 11.02 million vehicles from 10.41 million in the year-earlier period, ACEA data showed.
Volkswagen, Europe's biggest car maker, and PSA Peugeot Citroen rose 6.9% and 1.1% respectively while luxury nameplates BMW and Daimler were up 9.4% and 2.2%.
The only major group to post lower sales in October was General Motors, grappling with a 5.1% drop as the withdrawal of the Chevrolet brand from Europe outweighed a 12% gain by the Opel nameplate.
