- Light commercial vehicle registrations dip -4.3% in February, following two years of exceptional growth.
- Demand for mid-sized vans increases by 9.0% to 2,156 units.
- Small decline in popular heavy segment, with demand for 2.5-3.5t vans down by -1.3%.
The new light commercial vehicle market declined in February, falling -4.3% to 13,291 registrations, according to SMMT. The downturn follows an exceptionally strong performance in 2016, when the sector recorded an eight-year high in registrations.
Reversing the trend seen in previous months, demand for heavier vans fell, with registrations of vehicles weighing 2.5-3.5t down -1.3%. However, the segment continues to be the most popular, accounting for 65.8% of market share. Small vans under 2.0t experienced a decline, falling -28.5%, while pick-up registrations remained the same at 1,350 units. Meanwhile, demand for mid-sized vans grew, with registrations of 2-2.5t vehicles increasing 9.0%.
Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive, said,
February is typically a quiet month as buyers look ahead to the March plate change and, following the rapidly growing levels of demand we’ve seen over the past two years, a decline is not unexpected. The sector remains in good health and, barring any shocks to business confidence, we expect demand to remain strong over the coming months.
Download the press release and data table for February 2017.
