NEW passenger car registrations for the month of September are up by more than 4% – but year-to-date sales have fallen by about 1.5%.

Latest figures have been supplied by the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA), which welcomed the monthly increase in a sluggish economy.

ACEA said: 'This positive result looks encouraging as the economic context remains sluggish, according to most indicators.

It can be explained by the strengthening of consumer confidence in some markets, the price incentives proposed by most manufacturers, and the fact that September 2003 had one extra working day compared with September 2002 in all EU-15 countries, except Italy.'