DataBank: SMMT motor industry statistics, April 2013

Analysis

• UK new car registrations rose 14.8% in April, compared to April 2012, to 163,357 units, the best April performance since 2008.SMMT revised upwards its full-year forecast in April to 2,106,000 units (from 2,057,000 in January), a 3% rise on 2012 volumes, but still some 300,000 units off the pre-recession market. Further growth to 2,123,000 units is expected in 2014.
• The growth has been supported by the private sector, where volumes were up 32.3% in the month compared to April 2012, and grew 15.2% over the year-to-date. Fleet and business volumes also rose in both the month and the year-to-date.
• With high March demand for some models and an early Easter, some registrations may have been pushed into April.
• Registrations in the first four months of 2013 up 8.9% on the same period in 2012, by more than 60,000, to 768,555 units.

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