New Car Registrations Up In October

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Tue, 08 Nov 2011

The number of new cars sold in the UK rose by 2.6 per cent in October, according to new figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

The data showed that new car registrations increased for the second time in three months following 12 months of consecutive falls, with growth being driven by a 17 per cent hike in sales of small cars .

But despite the increase, overall registrations for 2011 are still 4.5 per cent down on the same period in 2010, with analysts predicting a similar figure for end-of-year sales.

SMMT chief executive Paul Everitt said: "Vehicle manufacturers are working hard to offer value for money through improved fuel efficiency, low running costs and innovative finance ."

"We expect market conditions to remain challenging and hope the Chancellor’s autumn statement later this month will help to boost economic growth and consumer confidence."

The most popular car in October was the Ford Fiesta, with 7308 models sold by UK dealerships, followed by the Vauxhall Corsa and Ford Focus with 6300 and 5203 sales respectively.

Completing the top ten list of best-selling cars was the VW Golf (4400), Vauxhall Astra (4159), BMW 3 Series (3664), VW Polo (3289), Vauxhall Insignia (2923), Nissan Qashqai (2789) and the Honda Jazz (2472).