UK car sales picked up in March as the new 06-registration plate and some lucrative deals lured buyers in, but new car registrations in Britain still fell 1.6 percent year-on-year in March to 435,847 units, the Society of Motor Manufacturing Traders (SMMT) revealed.
"However, a reasonable March cannot mask the poor start to the year, and 2006 will continue to be a challenge for the industry as we fight for every sale," said SMMT chief executive Christopher MacGowan.
For the first quarter of 2006, car registrations were down 4.6 pct on the same period a year earlier.
Private new car registrations rose by 483 units in March to 222,542, while diesel cars remained popular, rising by 8.9 pct to 156,932 units, boosting their market share to 36.0 pct.
The Ford Focus remained the best selling model in both the month and year-to-date, the SMMT said.
