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European car sales were 10.3% lower in March 2013 from a year earlier, the 18th consecutive month of falls.

The figures, from the Association of European Carmakers (ACEA) showed most carmakers saw sales drop, with Peugeot Citroen and Toyota suffering the most.

Continuing economic stagnation across Europe has depressed sales for almost six years.

The UK was the only country in Europe where sales rose, with registrations up by 5.9%.

Germany, the best performing economy in the eurozone, saw the biggest fall in sales of 17.1%, with France just behind with a drop of 16.2%.

European car sales were 10.3 percent lower in March 2013 from a year earlier, the 18th consecutive month of falls

European car sales were 10.3 percent lower in March 2013 from a year earlier, the 18th consecutive month of falls

“The car industry is suffering just as the European economy is suffering,” said motor industry analyst Christian Stadler, associate professor of strategic management at Warwick Business School.

The falls came despite hefty incentives on offer to buyers of new cars.

The Reuters news agency said that average retail sales incentives in the top five markets – Germany, the UK, France, Italy and Spain – had risen 13% to almost 2,400 euros ($3,200) per vehicle.

Last month, 1.31 million cars were registered in Europe.

Peugeot and Toyota were the worst affected manufacturers, with sales falling more than 16% from a year earlier, Volkswagen also suffered a sharp drop, with sales down 15% and the US carmaker General Motors saw sales fall by 12.8%.

Peugeot has forecast a sales fall of up to 5% this year, although since that guidance was given the chief executive has said that the outlook has worsened.

Jaguar was the only carmaker to see serious gains, with sales up by 21%. Mercedes also saw sales rise, although only by 0.8%.

“There are firms bucking the trend, like Jaguar Land Rover who are positioned well in the emerging markets, and you see that those high-end brands aimed at richer customers are not doing as badly,” said Christian Stadler.

“Car firms positioned in this way will be able to avoid the worst of the European slowdown.”

In a separate announcement, Toyota, which was a pioneer of petrol-electric hybrid vehicles with its Prius model in 1997, said sales of these and its other hybrid models had now passed five million.

Toyota said it had sold a total 5.125 million hybrid vehicles by the end of March, and they now accounted for 14% of its global sales.

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Peugeot Citroen has set out plans to cut 8,000 jobs and close an assembly plant outside Paris as losses mount.

The French carmaker said the Aulnay plant near Paris, which employs 3,000 workers, would stop production in 2014.

Last week, Peugeot said its first-half sales had fallen 13% amid a “profound crisis” in its eurozone markets.

Another plant, at Rennes in western France, is set to shed 1,400 posts from the 5,600 it employs there.

Another 3,600 jobs would be lost across all facilities in France.

Peugeot Citroen has set out plans to cut 8,000 jobs and close an assembly plant outside Paris as losses mount

Peugeot Citroen has set out plans to cut 8,000 jobs and close an assembly plant outside Paris as losses mount

Peugeot’s chairman, Phillipe Varin, said the situation was grave.

“I am fully aware of the seriousness of today’s announcement, as well as of the shock and emotions they will arouse in the company,” he said in a statement.

He said “the depth and persistence of the crisis” made the reorganization necessary and that workers who lost their jobs would receive support and help in finding new employment.

Around half of those currently employed at Aulnay would be offered new jobs at Peugeot’s other Paris plant at Poissy.

Unions described the announcement as a “declaration of war” and an “earthquake”, the AFP press agency reported.

In an interview with Europe 1 radio, French Social Affairs Minister Marisol Touraine said the cuts were “unacceptable”.

Peugeot’s sites are working well below capacity, with the average operating at 76% of their potential.

It said that the output of its smaller cars – which account for 42% of sales – was worse than average as many of its competitors operated in lower-cost markets.

The carmaker said it expected to report a loss for the first half of this year and to return to break-even by the end of 2014.

Earlier this year, Peugeot announced a 1bn-euro (£800m; $1.2bn) savings programme on top of headcount cuts of 6,000 announced last November.

Peugeot also this year entered into an alliance with GM of the US, under which GM takes a 7% stake in Peugeot, making GM the second-biggest shareholder in the French firm after the Peugeot family.

The company said the effects of that deal would not be felt until after 2014.

 

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