UK Car Sales Hit Record Levels for First Half of 2015
Figures released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) show that registrations of new cars in the UK grew 7.0% in the first half of 2015 to the highest half-year total on record.
1,376,889 cars were registered between January and June – higher than the previous record of 1,376,565 in the same period in 2004. Buyers’ appetite for British-built cars is said to be on the increase, meanwhile, with 13.9% (around one in six) choosing a UK-manufactured vehicle so far this year – the highest level in five years.
Low interest rates and competitive finance deals, combined with a number of new models featuring the latest technologies, have continued to encourage consumers to purchase new cars, according to the SMMT.
June marked the 40th consecutive month of growth in the market with a 12.9% increase in the month to 257,817 units. A significant feature of recent months has been a strong surge in demand for alternatively fuelled vehicles, and this was once again the case in June with volumes rising 70.9%. Fleet registrations continue to drive the growth, although registrations to private customers remain strong.
Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive, said, “This is important for the wider economy with 799,000 people now employed across the UK automotive sector, including retail.”
The Ford Fiesta is in its seventh year as the UK top seller and in June it secured 12,543 registrations, up from 11,213 in June 2014.
| Best sellers | June | Year-to-date | ||||||||||||
| 1 | Ford Fiesta | 12,543 | 1 | Ford Fiesta | 71,990 | |||||||||
| 2 | Vauxhall Corsa | 9,561 | 2 | Vauxhall Corsa | 50,125 | |||||||||
| 3 | Ford Focus | 9,089 | 3 | Ford Focus | 45,078 | |||||||||
| 4 | Volkswagen Golf | 7,575 | 4 | Volkswagen Golf | 38,261 | |||||||||
| 5 | Nissan Qashqai | 7,140 | 5 | Nissan Qashqai | 34,501 | |||||||||
| 6 | Vauxhall Astra | 6,428 | 6 | Vauxhall Astra | 29,966 | |||||||||
| 7 | MINI | 5,551 | 7 | Volkswagen Polo | 28,980 | |||||||||
| 8 | Volkswagen Polo | 5,457 | 8 | Audi A3 | 25,765 | |||||||||
| 9 | Vauxhall Mokka | 5,026 | 9 | Mercedes-Benz C Class | 24,676 | |||||||||
| 10 | Vauxhall Insignia | 4,478 | 10 | MINI | 23,455 | |||||||||
Source: SMMT
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