Strong demand drives new car sales
THE UK has overtaken France to become the second largest new car market in Europe after Germany following an impressive rise in sales during November.
Registrations rose by more than 11% last month to 149,191, largely due to an increase in private demand.
The performance is in strong contrast to the picture in the rest of Europe, which continues to be impacted by the weakness of the euro.
It is also a further indication of the disproportionate health of the UK car sector when compared to many other sectors of the economy.
Figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders shows the UK new car market has grown 5.4% to 1,921,052 units during the period January to November.
It puts the UK on target to smash the elusive 2m new car barrier by the year end and the SMMT said the performance was in line to be the best year since 2008.
In contrast, the Italian new car market has fallen by 19.8% this year, with France showing a 13.2% decline, Spain 11.9% and Germany a 1.6% fall.
The list of the year’s most consistent performers is headed by Land Rover, which is showing a 32% improvement in sales this year compared with 2011. The performance is due mainly to the impressive popularity of its Evoque model.
The data compiled by the SMMT suggests the best growth is at either end of the market with the executive/luxury sector proving robust with the likes of Porsche (up 28%) and Bentley (20%); likewise the low-cost sector, represented by the likes of Kia (up 23%), Suzuki (22%) and Hyundai (20%).
Ford maintained its dominance of the volume sector with a 17% growth last month to claim a market share of 14.2%. Its Focus and Fiesta occupied places one and two in the month’s best seller list. Vauxhall, the only other manufacturer with a double digit market share, saw its sales rise 23% during November.
Encouragingly, Jaguar also saw one of its best months, with sales up 16% on November 2011. With the launch of the new XF Sportbrake and the public debut of the new two-seater F-Type the Midland manufacturer’s star is in the ascendency after spending much of the year in the shadow of its stablemate.
Paul Everitt, SMMT chief executive, said: “The upward trend has been driven by private retail customers. The outlook for 2013 remains challenging, but vehicle manufacturers and their dealers will continue to work hard to attract motorists to their showrooms and deliver outstanding value.”
Sadly, the picture is not so rosy in the commercial vehicles sector.
Figures for November show commercial vehicle registrations were down 15.9% during the month to 22,860 units. For the year-to-date registrations are down 5% to 265,959.
Truck registrations declined 13.7% to 3,885 units in the month, while van registrations fell to 18,975 units and are down 7.4% in the 11 months to November.
