New UK car sales in September at highest level in five years
New UK car sales in September hit their highest monthly total for five and a half years as the latest 63-plate attracted buyers.
The Society for Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said 403,136 new cars were registered in the UK, a rise of 12.1% on the same month in 2012.
September is typically strong as it is one of the two months each year when new registration plates are issued.
Cars made in the UK account for one in seven of the domestic sales.
Ford’s Fiesta remains the UK’s top selling car, with 20,600 sold in September. Vauxhall’s Corsa was in second place with 14,500 vehicles sold.
Car sales have now risen for 19 months in a row.
The SMMT’s chief executive, Mike Hawes, said: “The UK market is reflecting growing economic confidence.”
“Robust private demand has played a major role in this growth, with customers attracted by exciting, increasingly fuel-efficient new models which offer savings in the cost of ownership.”
The SMMT said the growth also reflected the fact buyers were returning to the market after a period of holding off.
Buyers typically tend to replace new cars after three years, but because of economic conditions in recent years may have left that longer.
It is three years since the ending of the vehicle scrappage scheme, which gave people incentives to trade in their old cars. Cars bought under that scheme would now be around three years old.
| VIA SMMT | |||
| 1 |  | Ford Fiesta | 20,629 sales |
| 2 |  | Vauxhall Corsa | 14,464 sales |
| 3 |  | Ford Focus | 14,295 sales |
| 4 |  | VW Golf | 12,265 sales |
| 5 |  | Vauxhall Astra | 11,014 sales |
| 6 |  | BMW 1 Series | 10,084 sales |
| 7 |  | BMW 3 Series | 8,309 sales |
| 8 |  | Peugeot 208 | 7,953 sales |
| 9 |  | Nissan Qashqai | 7,771 sales |
| 10 |  | Fiat 500 | 7,422 sales |
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