France records slight rise in January car sales

After falling over last four years, sales of new cars in France saw positive performance at the start of 2014 with growing sales of French brands, official data showed on Monday. According to French Car Sales Federation (CCFA), French and foreign car-makers offered 125,477 units at the end of January, up 0.5 percent from the same month a year earlier. A 12.4-percent growth in sales of Renault, France's second main auto maker, pulled higher the country's total sales to 74,370 cars compared to 68,352 in January 2013. Due to its innovative and fresh offers, PSA Peugeot Citroen sold 6 percent more vehicles with 40,127 units while foreign brands suffered a 9.5-percent decline over the period, the report added. In a previous report, the CCFA estimated a stable performance of French auto market in 2014.