Overall annual demand falls -5.7% in 2017 – but new car market still third biggest in a decade at over 2.5 million vehicles.
December represents the ninth consecutive month of decline, as registrations for final month of year drop -14.4%.
Appetite for electrified cars reaches record high, with almost 120,000 alternatively fuelled vehicles (AFVs) hitting UK roads – a 34.8% uplift.
Diesel demand declines -17.1%, undermining progress on emissions and CO2 as industry body warns consumers could end up paying more in fuel if they travel high mileages.