UK new car sales jumped by 2.5% in July in what is the 24th consecutive month of growth, with one of Kia models claiming the best-seller title.
Some 147,517 new cars were registered last month, the best July performance since 2020, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said. Electric vehicle (EV) demand outpaced the overall market, accounting for four in 10 (42%) new cars registered in the month.
The Kia Sportage was July’s best-seller with 3,999 registrations, and is the second bestselling car in the UK this 2024 with 28,138 sales year-to-date.
The Nissan Qashqai was the second best-selling car last month with 3,633 cars hitting the roads. Year to date this is the UK’s third best-selling one car, with 26,514 units sold.
The Ford Puma might be third in July with 3,418 but for the whole of 2024 yet, it is the best-selling car in the country, with 29,792 units sold.
The Volvo XC40 is number four on this list, with 3,055 units sold, followed by the Volkswagen Golf, with 3,009 registrations.
The Hyundai Tucson (2,917), Volkswagen T-Roc (2,578), Nissan Juke (5,553), Volkswagen Polo (2,541), and the MG HS (2,445) complete the top 10 best sellers in July.
Petrol cars retained the lion’s share of the market, at 52.1%, despite registrations slipping 5.9% year on year. Diesel volumes fell 21.9% to account for just 5.9% of sales.
The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said it now estimates that pure EVs will have an 18.5% share of the market in 2024. The trade body previously forecast that the figure would be nearly 20%.
The SMMT’s chief executive Mike Hawes said weaker demand, particularly for EVs, from private buyers was an “overriding concern” for the industry, despite “generous” discounts from manufacturers.
He added: “More people than ever are buying and driving EVs but we still need the pace of change to quicken, or else the UK’s climate change ambitions are threatened and manufacturers’ ability to hit regulated EV targets are at risk.
“Achieving market transition at the pace demanded requires greater support for consumers and, with the all-important new number plate month of September beckoning, action on incentives and infrastructure is needed now.”
The fleet sector recorded a 13% increase in registrations in July to achieve a 62% market share. Private demand, meanwhile, fell by 11.1% to account for 36.2% of deliveries in the month.
The SMMT also downgraded its overall forecast for new car registrations this year, from around 1,984,000 to 1,968,000.
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