New Car Registrations up 13.5% in May, SMMT Predicts Decline
UK new car registrations rose 13.5 per cent in May (compared with May 2009), the 11th successive monthly rise. 153,095 cars were registered in May compared with 134,858 in May 2009. Broken down by the two main channels, the results are particularly positive in the fleet sector, which reported a 16 per cent increase compared with a 12.3 per cent in the private market.
Volumes over the first five months of the year have risen 22 per cent. According to the SMMT, the growth reflects the weakness of the 2009 market, with May volumes still 14.6 per cent or 26,177 units down on the 2008 level.