New car sales rise for the fifth consecutive month (UK)

New car sales have risen once again in the UK during July by 9.3%, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

A total of 143,884 new cars were registered, making July the best month for sales this year and represents the fifth monthly gain. Last year, year-on-year figures totalled 131,634, following the industry’s 13th consecutive monthly decline in volumes.

This year, new car sales in the first seven months are up by 3.5% to 1,201,564 units compared with 2011. With the flexible market, the SMMT has revised its 2012 sales forecast from 1.94m to 1.97m.

“New car registrations rose 9.3 per cent in July, continuing the upward trend seen during recent months. The SMMT’s full-year forecast is for 1.97 million cars to be registered during 2012, suggesting a slight slowing of demand in the second half of the year,” according to SMMT chief executive Paul Everitt.

“International economic stability remains a concern for vehicle manufacturers and the UK market, but intense competition and new fuel-efficient products are creating great opportunities for motorists,” said Everitt. It should be noted that the UK is currently in a double-dip recession, meaning the figures are falsely inflated by dealers registering cars to themselves.

Figures also reveal that there was a 45.9% increase of alternatively fuelled vehicles compared with July 2011. Last month, 2,079 AFVs were sold, compared with 1,425 in July last year.