New car sales fell 17% in 2013

New car sales fell by 17% in 2013, making it the second year in a row that fewer cars have been bought, sector organisations RAI and Bovag said on Thursday.

Despite the overall drop, December was a record month as buyers rushed to beat a tax increase on electric cars which came into effect on January 1, the organisations said.

Small, energy efficient cars were most popular, with Volkswagen leading the pack. The most popular cars in the Netherlands last year were the Volkswagen Up, Volkswagen Golf, Ford Focus, Renault Mégane and Volvo V40.

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