New car registrations top 500,000 in March

The UK's new car market grew by 5.3 per cent in March, making it the biggest ever month since the bi-annual plate change began in 1999, according to figures published today by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

518,707 new cars were registered in March, only the third time the market has surpassed half a million units in a single month. The month rounded off a record quarter, in which more than 770,000 new cars were registered – a 5.1 per cent increase over the first quarter in 2015.

Demand for alternative fuel vehicles showed a notable increase of 21.5 per cent in the month, as consumers continued to favour lower-emission vehicles with lower running costs. Registrations of both diesel and petrol cars increased, meanwhile, with respective uplifts of 4.8 per cent and 4.7 per cent.

The Ford Fiesta continues to dominate the sales chart, topping the table for monthly (23,467) and yearly (36,327) sales. It is joined in the top three by the Vauxhall Corsa and Ford Focus.

Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said, “The sector’s strong growth in March rounds off a robust first quarter as British consumers continue to demonstrate their appetite for new cars, especially ultra-low emission vehicles. This confidence should see registrations remain at a high but broadly stable level over the year, but could be undermined by political or economic uncertainty.”

New registrations snapshot - White is the new black

1. Overall the supermini is the most popular car type – a trend which is as true in March 2016 as it was in March 2006, with more than a third of all buyers preferring compact driving.

2. The rapid rise of the SUV continues, with more than 85,000 of them newly registered in March – 140 per cent more than a decade earlier.