U.K. Car Sales Rise 2.6% for First Five Months
The steady increase in new-car registrations during the first five months of 2012 “suggests that confidence is returning, despite financial uncertainty in the eurozone,” the head of an auto-industry group says.
New-car sales rose 7.9% in the U.K. in May to 162,288 units, boosted by 14.3% growth in private demand and a 4.8% rise in fleet sales that ended a 3-month decline.
The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders says the latest result left 5-month sales up 2.6% to 868,166 units.
“There is no doubt that vehicle manufacturers and their dealer networks are working hard to deliver value for money to motorists,” SMMT CEO Paul Everitt says in a statement, “and the consistent climb in new-car registrations during the first five months of the year suggests that confidence is returning, despite financial uncertainty in the eurozone.”
It was the strongest rate of growth since the scrappage-induced gain in June 2010 and was the third, and largest, monthly increase in a row.
May deliveries exceeded SMMT’s forecast by more than 6% – some 9,000 units.
As new models came to market, the alternative-fuel sector grew 31.8% to 2,108 units. Gasoline-powered car sales climbed 8.4% to 75,099, while diesels advanced 6.9% to 85,081.
The fleet sector saw sales rise 4.8% to 87,126 units, while private buyers pushed deliveries up 14.3% to 69,672. Small-business volume dropped 13.5% to 5,490.
The Vauxhall Corsa was the U.K.’s best-selling model in May with 8,413 units, just ahead of the Ford Fiesta with 8,337. But the Fiesta’s year-to-date deliveries jumped 18.0% to 50,507, comfortably ahead of the Corsa’s 38,347.
The Ford Focus maintained third place with 6,983 deliveries in May for a 5-month total of 36,916. Ford of Britain Managing Director Mark Ovenden says the new 1.0L EcoBoost engine in the Focus is a hit, accounting for 25% of orders.
SMMT says the van and truck market rose 10% in May to 25,327 units, with truck deliveries growing 31.5% to 4,024 and van sales rising 6.7% to 21,303.
Year-to-date, van deliveries were down 11.7% to 97,499 units, while truck sales jumped 28.2% to 20,219.
“It’s too early to know if the change in fortunes for the van market is a sign of things to come, but coupled with the strong truck performance, it is a welcome signal of increased confidence across the commercial-vehicle sector,” Everitt says.
U.K. market leader Ford benefited from the May surge in CV deliveries, with its total sales and market share up for both the month and year-to-date.
Ford’s CV sales climbed 32.3% in May to 7,178 units, while its car sales grew 7.0% to 23,083, good for a 5-month improvement of 5.2% to 126,215.
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