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Official data confirm the feeling that jeeps are becoming more rare in the streets of the Greek capital, writes the Greek daily Kathimerini. Indicative of the phenomenon is the steady increase in the number of registration plates that the owners of luxury cars are submitting to the transport services across the country.

In 2014, 23,425 registration plates of cars with 2000-3000 cc engine capacity were handed out. By comparison, the number of registration plates of cars in the particular category that were handed out in 2013 was 20,589.

In 2014, 10,057 cars with 3000-4000 cc engine capacity were withdrawn from circulation, while a year earlier they numbered 7,880.

The total number of cars with engine capacity of over 4000 cc was 4,586.

The data analysis shows that last year, 82,882 cars with engine capacity of over 2000 cc were in circulation, the withdrawn vehicles in this category alone being 38,068. As a result, the loss of state tax revenue amounted to over 50 million euro in just one year.

Between 2009 and 2014, sales of new cars fell by 68%. From 220,548 in 2009 they dropped to 58,694 in 2013 and 71,218 in 2014 after last year's market stabilization.

The decline in sales of cars with large engine capacity over the past five years has been even greater. The number of cars with 1929-2000 cc engine capacity sold in 2009 was 19,826, falling to 1,774 in 2013 and 2,588 in 2014, reporting an 87% decline.

The number of cars with engine capacity of over 2000 cc sold in 2009 was 12,238. Their number was only 439 in 2013 and 656 in 2014. Sales decline in this category was 95%.

Analysts say it was also due to the global automotive industry that, following the international trend for smaller and fuel-efficient cars, launched in the market models with smaller engines and more horsepower.

However, the impact of this trend on the automotive market in Greece is insignificant. The main reason that has led the Greeks to turn to smaller cars is the economic crisis. Because of the new taxation the number of jeeps on the Greek roads is about to decrease whereas the fact that they are in circulation will indicate the actual financial status of their owners.