Small Cars Drive Big U.K. Sales Gains in October

U.K. new-car sales buck current demand trends in Europe and jump 12.1% to 151,252 units in October.

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders says the result raises the year-to-date total 5.0% to 1,771,861 units and places the market in position to top 2 million deliveries for the full year.

SMMT now is forecasting sales of 2.01 million units this year, up from a prediction of 1.97 million in July and 1.92 million at the start of the year. The market is expected to be stable in 2013 at 2.02 million.

U.K. new-car deliveries have increased in every month this year except for February. But the market still is 16%, or 335,000 units, below the 2007 pre-recession volume.

This year’s growth reflects a 12.5% improvement in private demand, while fleet sales, up just 0.45%, have sustained the volumes recovered in 2011. Business-sector deliveries of new cars have fallen 11.1% so far this year.

Demand for small cars has risen rapidly, in part due to new models. The minicar segment through October surged 52.0% over year-ago, and the supermini segment was up 5.8% or more than 35,000 units. The two categories accounted for nearly 40% of the market.

U.K. market leader Ford boosted car sales and share in October and year-to-date, running ahead of the industry. Ford car deliveries increased 12.3% last month to 20,740 units, growing its 10-month total 5.2% to 245,109.

Ford’s commercial-vehicle dominance remained unchallenged in October, as a 6.1% sales gain to 5,237 units left the auto maker with a 24.0% share. Year-to-date deliveries were down 9.4% to 54,753 for a 22.3% share.

The Ford Fiesta, with 8,058 units, was the best-selling new car in October and year-to-date, up 14.5% to 96,805.

“Despite uncertainty in the European economy, the U.K. new-car market continues to grow,” SMMT CEO Paul Everitt says in a statement.

“It is encouraging to see the alternatively fueled vehicle market performing strongly, (with sales) up 13% so far this year. Although the alternatively fueled vehicle sector represents only a small share of the overall market, it is vital that government sustains its consumer-incentive program and maximizes the benefits available through the vehicle-taxation system.”

The U.K.’s struggling economy was reflected in new commercial-vehicle sales that slipped 8.1% in October to 21,661 units, for a 10-month total down 3.9% to 243,099.

Truck deliveries dropped 8.1% to 3,867 units for the month but rose 13.0% to 38,238 for the year. Van sales were down 8.1% for the month to 17,794, and were off 6.5% year-to-date to 204,861.

“SMMT recently updated its forecast for light-van registrations, suggesting a 6.5% drop in van volumes for (full-year) 2012, a situation reflected by the weak October market,” Everitt says.

Kia profited from the U.K. new-car sales boom in October, setting an annual record with two months of the year to go. Deliveries climbed 12.4% compared with like-2011 to 4,837 units in the month, boosting year-to-date volume to 57,736 – well ahead of the previous record of 56,114 set in 2010.