New car sales up 9.3% for July

Sales of new cars accelerated ahead last month, official figures have shown.

There were 143,884 new registrations in July 2012 - a 9.3% increase on the total in July last year, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said.

New car sales for the year so far have now reached 1,201,564 - a 3.47% rise on the January-July 2011 total. July's rise was the fifth monthly increase in a row and the biggest so far this year.

The SMMT has now revised its full-year sales forecast upwards to 1.97 million cars, which would be a 1.6% increase on the 2011 year-end total.

Its chief executive, Paul Everitt, said the 2012 full-year forecast suggested "a slight slowing of demand in the second half of the year".

He went on: "International economic stability remains a concern for vehicle manufacturers and the UK market, but intense competition and new fuel-efficient products are creating great opportunities for motorists."

The Mini sector grew by more than 93% last month while dual-purpose vehicle sales rose more than 42%. There was also a rise of nearly 46% in sales of alternatively-fuelled cars.

The three the best-selling models in July 2012 were the Ford Fiesta, followed by the Vauxhall Corsa and the Ford Focus.

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