UK new car sales rose by 5.4% in 2012, driven by growth in the private car market, according to figures from The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

The SMMT new car registration data shows total registrations rising from 1.82m in the year-to-November, 2011, to 1.92m in the year-to-November, 2012, with private sales rising 12.9% from 777,794 to 878,460 and fleet sales rising 0.7% from 951,965 to 958,517, offsetting an 8.9% drop in business sales from 92,306 to 84,075.

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Fuel efficiency appears to be a key concern for buyers, with minis and superminis showing the greatest growth in the last five years at 6.6%, although dual purpose vehicles also performed well with 2.4% segment growth.

AFVs were popular over the past year, with an 11% year-on-year rise in registrations from 23,601 to 26,193. Almost double the 5.9% rise in diesel models, from 921,024, and over double the 4.8% increase in petrol models, from 877,440 to 919,527.

Paul Everitt, SMMT chief executive, said: "The UK has out-performed our European partners during 2012 with vehicle manufacturing and new car registrations rising strongly through the year," as "new car buyers have responded positively to the exciting and fuel-efficient new models now on the market helping to boost registrations and make the UK the second largest market in Europe."

SMMT also issued its 2013 and 2014 forecasts, predicting a 0.1% rise in new registrations next year to just over 2m units, with 50.2% diesel penetration, and a 3.2% rise in LCV registrations to 250,900. In 2014 SMMT predicts a 2.3% year-on-year rise in new car registrations to 2.1m units, with diesel penetration at 50.5%, and a 4.5% rise in LCV registrations to 262,300 units.

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