Car sales edge up in October

UK new cars business saw modest growth in October, said the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.

Some 180,168 cars were driven off the UK’s forecourts last month as registrations grew 1.4%. In Wales last month, figures record 6,011 registrations, a drop of just over 7%.

However, when dealer registrations to boost incentives are factored into this, the real figure is likely to be less.

Fleet registrations drove the growth, with demand rising 4.2%, while registrations to private buyers fell by 1.1% as the market, currently at an all-time high, stabilises after a lengthy period of growth.

Alternatively fuelled vehicles continued to grow in popularity, rising 12.4% in October and 23.3% in the year so far to 75,987 registrations – the highest ever level achieved in the first 10 months of the year.

Diesel car sales maintained their decline against improving petrol powered models.

Year-to-date performance for the overall market remains ahead by 2.5%, with 2,330,663 new cars registered, but again these figures must be treated with caution due to self-registration encouraged by car makers.