European new-car sales fell 8.6 percent in August as Nissan, Renault, Fiat and Volkswagen posted double-digit sales declines.
Registrations fell to 1.07 million across the European Union and EFTA countries, according to data published by industry association ACEA on Wednesday
Nissan sales plunged 48 percent while Renault saw sales of its core brand drop by 38 percent. Fiat brand's registrations fell 26 percent. Volkswagen brand's volume dropped 14 percent.
Among the premium brands, Jaguar's registrations were down 21 percent while sister brand Land Rover saw sales dip 3.3 percent. Mercedes-Benz sales rose 13 percent, outpacing rivals Audi and BMW, which saw their registrations drop 9.1 percent and 8.4 percent respectively.
- Click here for August sales by automaker group and brand
Asian brands had a bad month as Toyota sales fell 1 percent, Hyundai registrations declined by nearly 2 percent and Kia sales dropped by 3.2 percent.
Among PSA brands, Citroen was down 8.1 percent, Opel/Vauxhall 6.9 percent and Peugeot 3.4 percent. DS registrations rose 26 percent.
Volkswagen Group's Skoda brand had a good month with sales up 5.4 percent while Seat registrations fell nearly 1 percent. Porsche sales plunged 18 percent.
Ford sales gained 1.7 percent