2004 Car Registrations Remain Flat

In 2004 new car registrations in the UK totalled 2,567,269 units, 0.5 per cent down compared with 2003’s figures. During the same period the number of units manufactured with diesel engines increased 18.5 per cent totalling 835,334 units. Diesel cars now occupy a record 32.5 per cent of the market. Registrations for the month December dipped 7.1 per cent to 144,353 units from 155,452.

When broken down by manufacturer the numbers show that the main winner of 2004 is Kia. The Korean car company registered 33,419 cars in 2004, 57.81 per cent more than it did in 2003. The news comes despite the fact that Kia, along with other far-eastern manufacturers, had received criticism from the UK media for their ‘lacklustre’ vehicles and rapid depreciation. In contrast French manufacturer, Peugeot had a less successful year. Although it registered 167,822 cars last year, this figure represents a 10 per cent drop compared with last year.

Commenting on the general end of year figures, SMMT chief executive, Christopher Macgowan said: “Last year was only the third on record where new car registrations broke the 2.5 million barrier. However, despite strong first quarter demand and growth in November, we missed taking the run of consecutive record years to four by just 11,781 units. The market for 2005 is expected to reach around 2.465 million units, which, in the context of the last 10 years, remains a robust forecast. Nevertheless, our expectations point to a slightly weaker market than in recent years, a reflection that the automotive industry is not immune to the competitive pressures affecting other sectors.”