Scottish car sales hit top gear in June -SMMT

In Scotland, new car sales in June totalled 21,576, a year-on-year increase of more than 12.1 per cent and lagging only slightly behind the UK average of 12.9 per cent.

The positive news north of the border came as it was also revealed that the first half of 2015 saw the highest half-year sales performance on record across the UK and a seven per cent increase on the same period last year.

Some 1,376,889 new cars were bought across the UK, the SMMT said.

June also marked the 40th consecutive month of growth for the British new car market. British-built cars sold at their highest level in five years, the figures said, and now accounti for around one in six vehicles sold in the UK.

Demand for alternative fuel vehicles, such as hybrid or electric cars, also continued to soar across the UK with 37,933 sold in the first six months of 2015, up more than 60 per cent on 2014 sales.

Meanwhile, the total number of Scottish registrations during the first half of 2015 hit 19,254, up 1.85 per cent on the same period last year.

The most popular make and model among Scottish buyers in June was the Ford Fiesta, although the six-month tally shows that the Vauxhall Corsa remains 2015’s most popular new car in Scotland overall.

Sales were concentrated in Scotland’s urban central belt, although only Strathclyde, Lothian and Central recorded year-on-year increases in sales compared to the first six months of 2014.

In comparison, more rural regions such as the Borders, Dumfries and Galloway, Tayside and Highlands all experienced a fall in sales. Grampian saw the biggest slide, with a 10 per cent decline in sales.

Reacting to the latest figures, Sandy Burgess, chief executive of the Scottish Motor Trade Association, said: “SMTA members are reporting good levels of footfall from deal savvy consumers who, whilst knowing what they want, are quick to recognise the exceptional value offers available across the new car spectrum. The market appears to be shifting towards smaller more fuel-efficient cars with the top-10 selling slots being dominated by smaller cars which in turn account for the majority of the growth seen in these latest results.”