New car registrations across Europe achieved their strongest September performance in more than a decade last month, new figures from JATO Dynamics have revealed.

A 7.1 per cent annual upturn in registrations was witnessed last month, with 1,495,815 units registered in Europe.

The data also revealed there has been a 7.7 per cent increase in the volume of new car purchases for the year to date.

Italy, Poland, Belgium, Austria and Spain all saw record increases in September, while double-digit upturns were seen in 16 of the 29 nations included in the research.

Felipe Munoz, global automotive analyst at JATO Dynamics, commented: "Following a return to growth in August, September's results show that the automotive industry is continuing to benefit from a more stable economy and new product launches."

Details of the update included the most popular models among European purchasers in recent months, with the Volkswagen Golf leading the field in September.

Other popular models included the Ford Fiesta, Volkswagen Polo, Opel/Vauxhall Corsa, Renault Clio, Nissan Qashqai, Opel/Vauxhall Astra, Peugeot 208, Volkswagen Tiguan and Mercedes C-Class, which rounded out the top ten.

Ben Robb, brand manager at The Fuelcard People, adds: "Growing appetite for new cars across Europe is positive news for the automotive sector. More new car purchases in key European markets will help bolster UK exporters."