The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders say 76,958 new cars were registered in February, up by 12% on February last year.
Fleet sales have driven the business up 19% over the same month last year but there has also been good business done with private buyers who sought out discounts before the new-plate March came in.
Sales of alternatively fuelled vehicles, which includes plug-in hybrids and pure EVs, were up by 52.8% on last year, with 1852 cars registered last month.
The UK’s car market has been growing steadily since March 2012, far beating the previous period of record growth, set in the late 1980s.
SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes said, “Three years of continuous growth in the new car market is remarkable and reflects the strong upturn in the confidence of UK car buyers since the recession.
“Registrations of fleet and business cars have outpaced the private market in February, reflecting the increased business confidence across the UK. With most fleet car buyers on a three-year replacement cycle, many of those cars purchased at the beginning of the current growth period are now due for replacement.
“Over the course of 2015, however, we are expecting a more stable market to emerge given there has already been an extended period of consistent growth.”
Commercial vehicle registrations grew 19.5% in February, with 40,491 vehicles registered so far this year.
Truck registrations continue to increase as demand sees steady return to form, up 31.7% in February, with sustained strong performance from van market, which has risen by 19.5% in the month.
“The truck market posted a second month of growth in February, with volumes up by more than a third so far this year. While it might be too early to claim a full recovery, it appears to be on the right track,” added Mr Hawes.
