British new car sales see first drop in three-and-a-half years
Xinhua, November 6, 2015 Adjust font size:
British new car registrations decreased 1.1 percent annually in October to 177,664 units after a record 43 consecutive months of growth, said the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) on Thursday.
The total number of new cars sold in 2015 so far reached 2,274,550, 6.4 percent more than at this time in 2014, and the best year-to-date performance on record, said SMMT.
The high-value market segments saw the biggest gains, with specialist sports and luxury saloon vehicle registrations growing 59.0 percent and 23.1 percent respectively, it added.
Ford Fiesta was on the top of the best sellers, with 8,577 units being sold in October. Other best sellers included Vauxhall Corsa, Volkswagen Golf, Ford Focus and Nissan Qashqai, etc.
"The UK car market has gone through a period of unprecedented growth and, so far, 2015 has been a bumper year with the strongest performance since the recession," said Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive.
"As expected, demand has now begun to level off but the sector is in a strong position, as low interest rates, consumer confidence and exciting new products combine to attract new car buyers," he added. Endit