According to industry figures released Wednesday, in December 2015 alone, a total of 247,300 new cars were registered in Germany - a rise by 8 percent compared with the same month a year ago, and driving last year's sales here to 3.206 million cars.

Matthias Wissmann, the head of the German carmakers' association, VDA, said the figure was evidence of a "dynamic development" in the German car market, for which a rise in 2016 orders by 7 percent provided "reason for optimism."

VDA data also showed an increase in the production of German auto makers by about 2 percent to 5.74 million passenger cars. Exports grew 3 percent in 2015 to 4.41 million cars.

While December saw bumper sales of new cars in Germany, exports slumped by 4 percent in the month. Wissmann warned that competition in international markets was "growing fiercer," with German manufacturers having to ready themselves for "increasing volatility" this year.

uhe/tk (Reuters, AFP, dpa)