Number-Plate Update Boosts U.K. Car-Sales Numbers

The U.K. new-car market sees its best September in a decade, with deliveries rising 5.6% to 425,861 units for a 31st consecutive month of growth.

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders says the result raised the year-to-date total 9.1% to 1,958,196 units.

September is a key month for the industry with the biannual number-plate update. September and March, the months of the plate change, together account for one-third of a year’s sales.

The U.K. switched to a twice-yearly plate change 15 years ago. Previously, annual plate changes occurred only in August.

SMMT CEO Mike Hawes says last month’s strong performance underlined the continuing robustness of the region’s new-car market, particularly in the context of September 2013’s bumper volumes.

“Demand for the new plate has been boosted by intensifying confidence in the U.K. economy,” Hawes says in a statement. “In the months since March, which saw an 18% jump in registrations, the growth has shown signs of leveling off as the market starts to find its natural running rate.”

Ford’s Fiesta continued its market leadership in September with 23,266 deliveries, ahead of the Ford Focus (13,508) and Volkswagen Golf (13,011).

After nine months, the Fiesta topped the market with 106,930 sales, followed by the Focus (67,015) and Vauxhall Corsa (62,693).

Market-leader Ford set a September record for commercial-vehicle deliveries and total sales approaching 70,000, the highest since 2007. Ford is No.1 in car, CV and total sales where its lead over its nearest rival is 93,539 units.

Ford’s September car sales were up 6.3% to 54,322 units for a year-to-date total rising 5.5% to 262,754. The blue oval’s CV sales improved 28.3% to 15,503 units for a 9-month total up 23.8% to 65,378.

Renault car sales outpaced the market with a September result up 43.7% to 12,993 units for a 3.1% market share. The French automaker’s deliveries jumped 57% year-to-date to 50,732 units. Renault’s B-segment vehicles – the Clio hatchback, Captur CUV and Zoe electric vehicle – surged 86.3% during the first nine months, accounting for 38,333 units of the total.

Kia notched a September record with sales growing 4.4% year-on-year to 13,292 units, boosting its 9-month total 7.3% to 62,538. The Kia Sportage remained the top seller within the Korean automaker’s lineup with almost 3,500 units delivered.

“The market is continuing to grow, and with it our performance remains very strong and gives us every reason to believe we shall surpass our target of 78,000 units this year,” Commercial Director Yaser Shabsogh says in a statement.

Suzuki broke its 10-year-old September sales record with 8,070 units to give it a record 9-month total of 31,431. The Japanese automaker is aiming for full-year sales of more than 37,000 units.

Nissan’s Leaf EV set U.K. and European records in September with sales soaring 158% to 851 units, beating the old single-month mark of 630 set in March. It was the largest volume of Leafs ever sold in one month in a European market.

Year-to-date sales of 2,969 units already have beaten the 2013 full-year total of 1,812 units.

Nissan says the SMMT data shows the Leaf sold more than double the volume of all other all-electric models combined in September, securing a 72% share of that market.

U.K. commercial-vehicle sales rose 10.8% in September to 54,497 units for a 9-month total up 12.6% to 269,456.

The van market continued to drive growth with the month’s deliveries climbing 14.1% to 49,123 units for a year-to-date result up 18.1% to 242,071.

The hangover from the late-2013 sales rush ahead of implementation of Euro 6 emissions standards slowed truck demand in September, with deliveries slipping 12.4% to 5,374 units for a 9-month total down 20.3% to 27,385.

Hawes says the van market delivered a strong performance as businesses felt increased economic confidence and downsized from larger vehicles.

“This has also yielded growth in the whole commercial-vehicle market, continuing the positivity seen throughout the majority of the year,” Hawes says. “We are yet to see the truck market show signs of significant recovery following a flurry of registrations ahead of the Euro 6 introduction last year, which tempered demand going in to 2014.”

Isuzu, with only the D-Max pickup on the U.K. market, posted its biggest single month of sales since it began importing into the region in 1987, with a September result gaining 52% from like-2013 to 1,065 units. Year-to-date, Isuzu sales were up 32% and the latest result means it sold more vehicles in the month than in all of 2009.