German carmaker Volkswagen’s sales dropped by over 30% in Romania in September compared to August.

The German car brand, which ranked second among Romanians’ favorite car brands, fell to the third place in terms of sales. The drop was due to the international scandal on the rigged diesel engine emissions tests in Europe and America, which broke in September.

Romanians bought about 716 Volkswagen cars in September, and over 6,900 since the beginning of the year. However, Skoda, another brand from the Volkswagen group, increased its sales by 25.7% in September, reaching 762 units. It thus moved to the second place.

New car sales went up by 12.6% in September, compared to August, reaching 8,159 units, according to data released by the Car Manufacturers and Importers Association – APIA. Dacia’s sales went up 41% month-on-month, to 2,765 units.

In the first nine months of 2015, new passenger car sales reached almost 70,000 units, up by 13.5% compared to the same period of last year. Dacia’s sales increased by 21%, to over 24,500 cars, while Volkswagen and Skoda saw 9% increases in sales.

editor@romania-insider.com