Nissan, Ford, FCA lead European car sales decline

PARIS (Reuters) - European car registrations fell 5.2 pct in March, led by Nissan , Ford (F.N) and Fiat Chrysler (FCHA.MI), according to data published on Wednesday by auto industry association ACEA.

Sales fell to 1.84 million cars last month across the European Union and European Free Trade Area, paring first-quarter growth to 0.6 percent, the Brussels-based group said.

"Momentum is starting to slow in some markets and especially in the United Kingdom," ACEA said in a statement.

Nissan's sales tumbled 16.3 percent last month, with Ford down 14.6 percent and Fiat Chrysler 8 percent lower as the Fiat brand sagged 12 percent, more than offsetting a 42 percent surge in Jeep sales.

Volkswagen Group (VOWG_p.DE) sales were little changed, while Renault (RENA.PA) fell 3.2 percent. PSA Group (PEUP.PA) recorded a 1.4 percent gain for its Peugeot unit and a 3.7 percent decline for Citroen.

(Reporting by Laurence Frost, editing by David Evans)