NISSAN is celebrating a successful March after breaking sales records set last year.
Despite speculation that the 13-plate would deter buyers, UK new car registrations rose by 5.9 per cent in March. During March, 23,576 new Nissans were delivered giving the company a market share of 5.4 per cent, representing a 6.4 per cent increase over the same month in 2012.
For the full financial year (April 2012-March 2013), Nissan sold a record 120,310 new vehicles, giving a record market share of 5.2 per cent.
Sales of the 100 per cent electric Nissan LEAF went up by 38 per cent over the same period last year, firmly establishing it as the UK’s best selling all-electric vehicle. This comes just a week after Prime Minister David Cameron visited the company’s Sunderland plant to mark the start of production of the next generation LEAF.
Nissan’s pioneering Qashqai crossover model continued to show its popularity, maintaining its position as the sixth best-selling car in the UK in March with 8,465 models sold. The Juke compact crossover also celebrated its best-ever month with sales of 6,382, over a thousand more than were sold this time last year.
Jim Wright, managing director of Nissan (GB) said: ‘There’s no doubt that the new car market is becoming increasingly competitive, which only goes to show just how impressive Nissan’s latest record-breaking sales result is. It’s proof that we’re offering exactly the right vehicles for UK buyers.’
Nissan’s LCV range made a valuable contribution to the company’s record sales. The multi-award winning NV200 was the best seller in March with sales of 1508, up a staggering 118 per cent. Nissan will be showcasing the 100 per cent electric eNV200 at the Commercial Vehicle show at the NEC in Birmingham this week.
Wright continued: ‘We are looking forward to the exciting new products we have coming in the next 12 months including the new LEAF and Note which will be built at our fantastic plant in Sunderland.’