ZURICH, SWITZERLAND – Swiss sales of new cars were down heavily in June, by 27.6 percent compared to a year earlier – but don’t read too much into that, says the auto importers association.
It attributes the fall in sales to a rush to buy new cars a year ago.
Stricter Swiss rules for CO2 emissions went into effect in July 2012. Buyers boosted annual sales by 10,000 – solely in the first six months of 2012 – making last year a record one for new car registrations. So far, 2013 looks like a correction year for sales.
The increase last year was the largest in any one year since 2001. The total number of vehicles on Swiss roads is now twice as high as in 1980.