Northern Ireland car sales stall in February
According to the latest figures from Northern Ireland, new car sales stalled last month as the motor trade sold 243 fewer cars in February compared to the same month last year, latest industry figures show.
The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said car sales in Northern Ireland fell year on year by 5.69 per with just 4029 new cars sold last month.
According to SMMT car sales “dipped” generally across the UK during February which is traditionally considered to be one of the quieter months as prospective buyers hold out for the March number plate change.
Last month seen a dramatic drop in the UK’s new car market as it shrank l by 5.1 per cent with registrations by business buyers showing one of the most dramatic drops at 29.8 per cent while private and fleet buyers also showed sluggish demand for new cars.
Demand for petrol engine vehicles were up as well as alternatively fuelled vehicles (AFVs) last month in the UK with petrol sales up 14.4 per cent and AFV sales up by 7.2 per cent.
But registrations of new diesel cars fell back by 23.5 per cent which SMMT said suggests diesel car owners are keeping their older cars for longer.
A total of 80,805 new cars were sold across the UK in February, which was down 2.8 per cent on car sales for the same period last year, 2017.
In Northern Ireland so far this year there have been 10,078 new cars sold which represents an overall decline of 3.15 per cent compared to last year’s sales figures for the same period.
The best-selling new car in the North during February and in the year to date is the Ford Fiesta.
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