November car sales best since 2004

2013 saw the strongest November for new car registrations since 2004, according to the latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). 159,581 new cars were registered during November 2013, bringing total car sales for 2013 to 2,111,819 cars. That’s 9.9% higher than last year, and means 2013 has seen more new car registrations so far than during the entire of 2012.

"Motorists have bought more than two million cars so far in 2013, a tremendous success for the industry on the back of buoyant consumer confidence and innovative new products," said Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive. "With the UK economy looking increasingly positive, we can expect strong underlying demand for new cars to continue into 2014, with volumes set to match or surpass those seen this year."

The bestselling model continues to be the Ford Fiesta, which outsold the second place Ford Focus by almost 3500 cars. The Vauxhall Astra was the third bestseller, followed by the Vauxhall Corsa and the Volkswagen Golf. Fleet operators and business bought more cars than private individuals, and diesel models were more popular than petrol models.

Alternate fuel vehicles – hybrids and electric cars – were 23.1% more popular in November 2013 than in the same month of 2012, but they still only account for 1.5% of all cars sold.