Registrations rose to 1.26 million cars last month in the European Union (EU) and European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries, Brussels-based industry body ACEA said, from 1.19 million a year earlier. Eleven-months sales were up 4 percent to 14.5 million autos.
Sales by France's PSA soared 83 percent from November 2016 to 200,211 cars as registrations of the newly acquired Opel-Vauxhall division were not included in year-earlier records, while Toyota was up 12 percent at 57,355 cars.
French rival Renault
grew 10 percent to 139,335 vehicles whereas Fiat Chrysler slipped 1 percent to 74,568 cars, weighed down by declines of over 20 percent each at its Jeep and Alfa Romeo brands.Volkswagen , Europe's biggest automotive group reported a 5 percent increase to 310,647 cars with premium nameplates Audi and Porsche as well as mass-market brands Seat and Skoda all posting growth.Of Europe's five biggest auto markets, Germany, France and Spain posted double-digit or close to double-digit advances, outweighing an 11 percent plunge in the No. 2 market Britain where weaker consumer confidence and uncertainty over the future of diesel have been hurting demand. (Reporting by Andreas Cremer; Editing by Maria Sheahan)