New car sales fell in April

The April new car market fell by 7.4% to 137,746 units, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). This was the 10th successive decline in volumes.

The market was 1.5% ahead of forecast and on par with the 2010 market with scrappage volumes removed.

Registrations over the first four months of 2011 were down 8.5% to 696,082 units.

Despite economic and supply chain uncertainty, SMMT’s full year forecast remains at 1.93 million units.

Fleet demand remains robust, up 6.5% in April, while diesel volumes also recorded strong growth.
 
Paul Everitt, SMMT Chief Executive, said: “New car registrations in April demonstrated continued stability in the marketplace, with demand remaining lower than in 2010, although slightly ahead of industry expectations.

“The coming months will remain challenging, but we do expect to see a return to growth in the second half of the year.”