During the period, worldwide sales of PSA Peugeot Citroen assembled vehicles and kits increased by 16.9% to 1,856,000.

Jean-Marc Gales, executive vice president, brands, commented: 'This performance confirms the strong marketing momentum of our Peugeot and Citroen brands, with a clear increase in our market share in Europe, an improvement in our position in China, and a further demonstration of our environmental leadership. This performance was underpinned by the success of our recently launched models – the Peugeot 3008, 5008 and RCZ and the Citroen DS3 and the Citroen C3 in Europe, the Peugeot 408 and Citroen C-QUATRE and C5 in China and the Peugeot Hoggar in Latin America.'

Within Europe, registrations of PSA Peugeot Citroen vehicles increased by 7.7% to 1,214,000 units, in a passenger car and light commercial vehicle market that rose by 1.1% in the first half.

However, sales outside Europe proved more robust and accounted for 36% of the consolidated first-half total, compared with 34% in 2009. PSA says that the improvement confirms its marketing momentum, particularly in emerging markets, and 'illustrates its commitment to becoming a more global enterprise'.

Commenting on the outlook for 2010, PSA reiterated its prediction that the automotive markets in Europe will contract by around 9% over the year. It added that the Chinese market should enjoy another year of double-digit growth, while markets in Latin America are expected to see single digit growth.