New car registration in Romania increased by 75 percent in June, which is the largest growth in the European Union, according to data released by the European Car Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA).

Almost 7,000 new cars were registered in Romania in June, compared to less than 4,000 in the same month of last year, ACEA data shows. In the 28 European Union member states car registrations were up by 4.5 percent in June, to 1.19 million units.

In the first six months of the year Romania’s car registrations were up 27 percent, the third largest growth in the EU after Portugal and Croatia.

Overall, new car registrations in the EU were up 6.5 percent, to 6.62 million.

Romanian brand Dacia increased its sales in the EU by 36 percent in the first half of the year, to 192,900 units, and increased its market share to 2.9 percent. Dacia had the second largest increase in sales volumes after Jeep, but the American brand has much lower sales on the European market than the Romanian producer.

Andrei Chirileasa, andrei@romania-insider.com