EMBARGOED-Renault, Toyota lead European car sales rise in August

BERLIN, Sept 14 (Reuters) - European car sales rose 5.5 percent in August, accelerating from an increase of 2.6 percent in July, according to industry data published on Thursday.

Registrations rose to 903,143 vehicles in the European Union (EU) and European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries in August and to 1.19 million vehicles for July, Brussels-based industry body ACEA said.

For the first eight months of the year, registrations were up 4.4 percent to 10.56 million vehicles.

In the 28-nation EU excluding Malta, registrations climbed 5.6 percent to 865,047 vehicles in August, the best August performance in a decade, ACEA said.

Europe's largest carmaker, Volkswagen, which is still grappling with its diesel emissions scandal, saw August deliveries rise 2.8 percent, with its namesake brand down 4.4 percent.

Among the major manufacturers, Renault and Toyota saw the biggest monthly increases with 13 percent and 12.5 percent, followed by Fiat Chrysler with 9.8 percent.

Performance was mixed for the region's two biggest markets. Germany saw a 3.5 percent increase, while Britain registered a 6.4 percent drop, continuing a 9.3 percent fall seen in July. (Reporting by Victoria Bryan; Editing by Maria Sheahan)