Cars Registrations SMMT News

August new car registrations rev-up ahead of September plate change

05 September 2013 #Cars #Registrations #SMMT News
  • 18 months of consecutive rises realised as new car market grows 10.9% in August to 65,937 units.
  • Only about 3% of annual registrations occur in August ahead of September’s plate change, which typically accounts for around 17% of full-year registrations.
  • Fifth successive month of double-digit growth pushes year-to-date market up 10.4% to 1,391,788 units.
  • Private registrations see biggest gain but fleet and business buyers also continue positive performance.
  • Registrations of all fuel types continue growth, with alternatively-fuelled vehicles up 41.4% in August.
“UK new car registrations have now risen consecutively for a year and a half. Private and fleet buyers are clearly capitalising on attractive deals and new technologies against a backdrop of increasing economic confidence,” said Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive. “Ahead of the September plate-change, August always has far fewer registrations, but the 10.9% rise this month bodes well for the new 63-plate.”

August Total Diesel Petrol AFV Private Fleet Business
2013 65,937 32,903 32,108 926 31,608 32,386 1,943
2012 59,433 29,391 29,387 655 27,567 30,153 1,713
% change 10.9% 11.9% 9.3% 41.4% 14.7% 7.4% 13.4%
Mkt share ’13 49.9% 48.7% 1.4% 47.9% 49.1% 2.9%
Mkt share ’12 49.5% 49.4% 1.1% 46.4% 50.7% 2.9%
Year-to-date Total Diesel Petrol AFV Private Fleet Business
2013 1,391,788 685,936 687,067 18,785 660,579 671,708 59,501
2012 1,260,997 643,133 600,504 17,360 567,777 641,601 51,619
% change 10.4% 6.7% 14.4% 8.2% 16.3% 4.7% 15.3%
Mkt share ’13 49.3% 49.4% 1.3% 47.5% 48.3% 4.3%
Mkt share ’12 51.0% 47.6% 1.4% 45.0% 50.9% 4.1%
Best sellers August Year-to-date
1 Fiesta 3,289 1 Fiesta 75,418
2 Astra 2,428 2 Focus 57,129
3 Golf 2,233 3 Corsa 53,284
4 Focus 2,225 4 Astra 42,324
5 Corsa 2,151 5 Golf 39,530
6 1 Series 1,927 6 Qashqai 33,299
7 Qashqai 1,875 7 Polo 27,730
8 3 Series 1,517 8 3 Series 26,175
9 Polo 1,442 9 1 Series 24,364
10 Insignia 1,147 10 208 24,269
  • Registrations have grown in every month in 2013 by an average of 10%.
  • The 13-plate, covering March-August registrations, was the best in volume terms since the recession and the 08-plate and was up 10.4% on a year ago at 1.18 million units.
  • August only accounted for 2.9% of the 2012 full year market and is the second smallest market of the year, after February. Both months are ahead of the change in number plate.
  • September is typically the second largest month of the year, after March, and in 2012 accounted for 17.6% of the annual market.
  • Registrations of the new 63-plate in September are expected to exceed 2012’s 359,612 total by more than 7%.

 

 

Click through to download the full August 2013 new car registrations news release and data table.

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