New Car Market Declines

According to SMMT, in October 2019, UK new car registrations fell 6.7%. There were 10,348 fewer cars registered than October 2018.

  • The supermini sector fell -23.4%
  • Dual purpose registrations were up 7.1% respectively.
  • Small family car registrations were up 3.3% respectively.

The UK new car market is down 2.9%, year to date, compared to the first 10 months of 2018.

  • Diesel car registrations fell 28.3%.
  • Petrol car registrations declined 3.2%.
  • Hybrid cars increased by 28.9%.
  • Battery electric vehicle registrations were up 151.8%.
  • Plug-in hybrids fell 1.7%.
  • Alternatively fueled vehicle registrations were up 6.9% from last year.

Reasons for the decline include uncertainty over diesel and clean air zones, stunted economic growth and uncertainty over Brexit.

Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive, said: “The growth in alternatively fueled cars is very welcome, showing increasing buyer appetite for these new technologies. The overall market remains tough, however, with October now the year’s eighth month of decline and in need of an injection of confidence. Whether the general election delivers a ‘bounce’ to the economy remains to be seen but, with attractive deals and an ever-greater choice of low, ultra low and zero emission models arriving in the UK’s showrooms, consumers have every incentive to consider buying a new car.”

For more information, head over to SMMT.