NI car sales stall in February, figures show

New car sales stalled in the North 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 the keys of just 4029 new cars handed over by the motor trade to buyers in the North last month.

According to SMMT car sales in general “dipped” in 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.

The UK’s new car market shrank last month 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.

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In general demand for petrol and alternatively fuelled vehicles (AFVs) rose last month in the UK with petrol sales up 14.4 per cent and AFV sales rising 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.

In total 80,805 new cars were sold across the UK in February - down 2.8 per cent on corresponding car sales for 2017.

So far this year there have been 10,078 new cars sold in Northern Ireland, which represents a 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.