Europe's Oct. sales slide.(Brief Article)

Byline: Ralph Kisiel

New-vehicle sales in Western Europe fell 2.1 percent in October as sales slumped in four of the five biggest markets.

Among the Big 6 volume automakers, only PSA Group reported higher sales for the month, with a 3.1 percent gain. PSA includes Peugeot and Citroen.

VW group slipped 1.2 percent; Ford Motor Co., 0.3 percent; Renault, 7.2 percent; General Motors, 2.4 percent; and Fiat Group, 16.2 percent.

Of the Big 6, only PSA, up 1.4 percent, is ahead for the year to date. VW is off 6 percent; Ford, 2.1 percent; Renault, 3 percent; GM, 12.3 percent; and Fiat, 18.1 percent. …