NEW car registrations rose 7.9 per cent in May to 162,288 units, the latest figures from the SMMT reveal.
Nissan’s Qashqai was eighth in the table, with 3,179 units sold, and seventh in the year-to-date table, with 18,660 sales.
Top of the May table was Vauxhall’s Corsa (8,413) and the leader over the first five months of 2012 is Ford’s Fiesta (50,507).
May was the largest overall percentage rise for 23 months boosted by 14.3 per cent growth in private demand, and, ending a three-month decline, the fleet market was up 4.8 per cent in May.
Registrations over January-May have risen 2.6 per cent to 868,166 units.
‘May’s 7.9 per cent increase in new car registrations is good news for the motor industry and the UK economy, particularly the steady growth in demand from private buyers,’ said Paul Everitt, SMMT chief executive.
‘There is no doubt that vehicle manufacturers and their dealer networks are working hard to deliver value for money to motorists and the consistent climb in new car registrations during the first five months of the year suggests that confidence is returning, despite financial uncertainty in the eurozone.’