Annual new car registrations in the UK car market passed the one million mark last month as the domestic industry continued to enjoy encouraging year-on-year growth.
June was the 16th successive month that new car registrations have grown, and a total of 214,957 units were registered, compared to 189,514 at the same point of 2012. That takes the half-yearly total for new car registrations to 1,163,623, and strong private demand is driving the increase.
The UK continues to buck new car market trends of some European nations, which are continuing to endure sales slumps.
It is believed that enticing finance deals and a desire to buy more fuel-efficient models are two of the key factors driving the increase in registrations. Indeed, the average CO2 emissions figure for all new cars sold in the first half of 2013 was 129.1g/km, down 3.7 per cent compared to the same point in 2012.
Also, it seems that the industry is enjoying a post-recession boom as new car buyers who postponed their purchases during the economic slump now have the confidence to return to the showrooms.
The Ford Fiesta continued its stranglehold on the top spot in the monthly sales charts. A total of 63,040 new Fiestas have been registered in the first six months of the year.
The city car and small hatchback segments continued to show strong growth, although the MPV sector enjoyed the strongest growth in June, with registrations growing by a quarter.
Demand for petrol power continues to outstrip diesel, while alternatively fuelled cars recorded a 26.2 per cent rise in registrations year-on-year. However, alternatively fuelled cars still only account for 1.5 per cent of the new vehicle market.
UK’s best-selling cars for June 2013
1 Ford Fiesta 11,332 units
2 Ford Focus 9128
3 Vauxhall Corsa 8868
4 Vauxhall Astra 7074
5 Volkswagen Golf 5875
6 BMW 3-series 5432
7 Volkswagen Polo 4703
8 BMW 1-series 4678
9 Nissan Qashqai 4507
10 Peugeot 208 3649
