• November new car registrations fell two per cent to 155,315 units
• Year to November total down 3.1 per cent to 2,211,054 units
• Diesel registrations fall for first time since April, down 2.5 per cent to 65,203 units

'There is no doubt that environmental factors are rising up the agenda for new car buyers', said SMMT chief executive Christopher Macgowan. 'Lower fuel consumption and emissions are now as important for many people as safety features and price.

'The good news is that manufacturers are bringing many new technologies to market and improving the performance of cars with traditional petrol and diesel powertrains. In addition we are providing more information to guide buyers, like the new car green label. We will be keeping a close eye on the Chancellor's pre-budget speech later today to see if he supports this progress with incentives for buyers.'

More detail in the attached: