Italy's new-car sales grew at their lowest pace this year in July.
Demand rose 8.8 percent last month, below the double-digit percentage increases from January until May. In June, sales were up about 10 percent.
"This is the smallest growth rate this year, indicating that the market recovery is losing momentum," Dataforce analyst Benjamin Kiebies told Automotive News Europe.
Despite the slowdown, Dataforce forecasts full-year sales in Italy of 1.49 million, an increase of 11 percent on 2022.
However, the current level of new registrations is still 19 percent below the pre-COVID average.
Budget brands boom
Makers of affordable cars had a strong July, led by Dacia.
Renault's budget brand finished No. 3 in sales behind market-leader Fiat and second-ranked VW (see table below).