MARCH proved to be a strong month for Nissan dealers, the SMMT’s latest registration figures out today reveal.
Nissan dealers sold just shy of 17,000 cars in March – up 14.69 per cent on March 2010 – with year-to-date figures showing that 25,000 Nissans have found homes so far in 2011.
Nissan’s market share in the UK is now 4.48 per cent.
Of those 25,000 Nissans sold, 9,253 were Qashqais. This has earned the SUV a place in the top 10 year-to-date figures published by the SMMT.
The Qashqai’s position in the list confirms that Nissan dealers are experiencing strong demand for the SUV from UK customers.
The overall market saw new car registrations fall by 7.9 per cent in March. Some 366,101 new 11-plate cars were registered, representing a 7.9 per cent fall on 2010. March bettered expectations, though – up 5.9 per cent on 2010 with scrappage volumes excluded.
Paul Everitt, SMMT chief executive, said: ‘The UK saw 366,101 new cars registered in March, demonstrating sustained demand in what is traditionally the biggest month of the year.
‘Despite a dip versus 2010, the market remains on course to meet SMMT’s forecast for the year with motorists buying increasingly fuel-efficient and low emitting vehicles across every segment.’