The UK new car market experienced modest growth in October following a bumper plate-change month in September, according to figures published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. 180,168 cars were driven off the UK’s forecourts last month as registrations grew 1.4 per cent.
The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) reports 180,168 new cars were registered in October, representing modest growth of 1.4 per cent. The growth was largely supported by fleet registrations, with private buyers continuing the trend of small declines. Registrations of alternatively fuelled vehicles continued to show growth in double digits, while the overall total for the year is also growing marginally, showing the resilience of the market. Analysis from KPMG suggests that predicted incremental price increases will not severely affect the market, though lower figures are anticipated in 2017.
An investigation into the pre-registering of cars by the BBC Radio 4 consumer programme ‘You and Yours’, suggests that up to a fifth of new cars in the UK are estimated to be “pre-registered” to dealers – potentially skewing sales figures and leaving drivers confused.
Figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders reveal that the UK new car market remained steady in September, rising 1.6 per cent. 469,696 cars were registered, as buyers purchased the new 66-plate.
With the number of new car registrations increasing and SUVs leading the way in new car sales, the desire for owning a 4×4/SUV has led to a surge in demand for tyres in this lucrative market, distributor Grouptyre confirms. SMMT figures for August 2016 bear this out – numbers seven to 10 on the bestselling new cars table are all crossover SUVs. With greater popularity, opportunity follows for tyre manufacturers, and the wholesaler states that its suppliers are continuing to develop product ranges to meet the demands of vehicle manufacturers and their expanding range of vehicles. All the evidence points to continuing growth for 4×4 tyre sales following on from 2015’s double-digit increases, as revealed in our March issue by market research specialists GfK Automotive.
The UK new car market achieved modest growth in August, as registrations rose 3.3 per cent against the same month last year, according to figures released by SMMT. 81,640 new cars were registered in the month, with year-to-date performance remaining positive, up 2.8 per cent to 1.68 million units.
Figures released by the SMMT show that UK new car registrations experienced a very slight increase in July, up 0.1 per cent for the month, at 178,523 units. 1,599,159 new cars have been registered so far this year, putting demand in the year-to-date 2.8 per cent higher than for the same period in 2015, following a strong first quarter. Fuelled by a possible inflection point in the market – two years of strong car registrations figures have built up a wave of two-three year old used cars that could detract from new car purchases – and the as-yet unseen effects of the Brexit decision, some are advising a note of caution.
Although registrations of new passenger cars declined slightly in the UK last month, the opposite applied in most markets within the region. The European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) reports that the European Union car market grew for the 34th consecutive month during June 2016, with two of the five largest markets recording a greater than ten per cent year-on-year rise. Registrations jumped 11.9 per cent to 165,208 units in Italy during the month and 11.2 per cent to 123,790 in Spain. Germany, Europe’s largest car market, recorded 339,563 new car registrations during the month, 8.3 per cent more than in June 2015, while France experienced a modest growth of 0.8 per cent, to 227,353 new car registrations.
The first six months of 2016 have seen new car registrations grow by 3.2 per cent in total, with 1,420,636 registered so far, according to figures released today by SMMT. This represents the best half-year performance ever recorded, though demand has levelled off in recent months, culminating in a slight fall (-0.8 per cent) in June 2016.
In May 2016, European passenger car registrations showed double digit growth marking 33 consecutive months of growth. Year-to-date, the market grew by 9.9 per cent, totalling 6.4 million units. “It is extremely positive to see that European new passenger car registrations rose 16.0 per cent in May, reaching 1,288,220 units,” said Sue Robinson, director of the National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA), which represents franchised car and commercial vehicle retailers across the UK, commenting on figures published by ACEA (European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association).
Demand for new cars in the UK remained stable in May with a steady 2.5 per cent growth in registrations, according to figures released by The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). 203,585 cars were registered in the month, May’s highest total since 2002.
“We are pleased to see that passenger car registrations in the EU continued to perform well in April marking 32 consecutive months of growth”, said Sue Robinson, Director of the National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA), which represents franchised car and commercial vehicle retailers across the UK, commenting on figures published by ACEA (European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association).
“The National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA) is encouraged by the continued increase of passenger car registrations in the EU marking the 30th consecutive month of growth”, said Sue Robinson, director of the NFDA, commenting on figures published by ACEA (European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association). The NFDA represents franchised car and commercial vehicle retailers across the UK.
Commenting on the February new car registrations, Steve Jackson, chief car editor, Glass’s, said: “February SMMT registration statistics show private customers have been incentivised back in to the market with low interest rates, deposit incentives and a selection of new models on offer.
Figures from the Society of Motor manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) show that new car registrations continued the positive start to 2016 in February, growing 8.4 per cent compared with the same month in 2015. 83,395 new cars were registered in the month, marking the biggest February since 2004.
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