► January-June 2015 sales set record
► 40th consecutive month of growth
► Surge in alternatively fuelled vehicles
British car buyers have set a new half-year record for the number of new vehicles registered between January and June, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has confirmed.
New SMMT data shows that UK car buyers have splashed the cash on a whopping 1,376,889 vehicles in the first half of 2015. That’s 324 more than the previous record set in 2004.
Who’s popping the champagne corks?
Hatchbacks make up eight of the top 10 vehicles sold in the first half of 2015. And, once again, the Ford Fiesta tops the best-sellers’ list. Not bad for a seven-year-old model:
- Ford Fiesta 71,990 sold Jan-June 2015
- Vauxhall Corsa 50,125
- Ford Focus 45,078
- VW Golf 38,261
- Nissan Qashqai 34,501
- Vauxhall Astra 29,966
- VW Polo 28,980
- Audi A3 25,765
- Mercedes-Benz C-class 24,676
- Mini 23,455
The SMMT also reported a rise in registrations of alternatively fuelled vehicles (AFVs) such as hybrids and electric cars. AFVs enjoyed a 63% surge in comparison to 2014 sales. Nissan is celebrating the 10,000th Leaf EV registered in the UK, making it comfortably the top-selling pure electric car.
Mercedes, whose C-class muscled into ninth place in the UK, announced a new global sales record of 898,425 vehicles delivered in the first half – a rise of 15%.
UK plc: the business story
Record sales are encouraging news for the UK. The SMMT said cars built here make up one in six new vehicles sold – the highest rate for five years. A reminder of why the automotive sector contributes a turnover of £69.5 billion to the British economy.
But all good things must come to an end; the SMMT forecasts the record-breaking sales trajectory will tail off during the ‘flatter’ second half of 2015.