November 2016 was a record-breaking month for light commercial vehicle registrations, according to the latest results published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) today.
Just under 30,000 new vehicles were registered in November, a 2.5 per cent increase on the previous year’s result and the highest on record.
Pick-up trucks continued their strong growth, with a 36.7 per cent increase on last year’s result. The other big growth segment was mid-weight vans (2.0-2.5 tonnes), which grew by 43.1 per cent over last year.
Demand for the heaviest van segment (2.5 to 3.5 tonnes) – which makes up over 60 per cent of the overall LCV market – was down on last year for the second consecutive month, suggesting that the market for those vehicles may be running out of steam slightly. Nevertheless, the year-to-date figures show that the segment is still running 7.0 per cent up for the 11 months to November, meaning the full-year result will still be an improvement on 2015.
Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive, said, “The new van market’s growth in November is welcome news and an encouraging sign of ongoing business confidence. With almost 350,000 light commercials registered so far this year, the sector remains on track to beat 2015’s record-breaking performance.
“For this success to continue in 2017 and beyond, however, it is essential that the economic conditions that have kept this sector so buoyant in recent years are maintained.”
Among the manufacturers, Ford maintained its usual dominance. To make matters worse for its rivals, the margin between it and second-placed Volkswagen increased further over October’s results.
Mercedes-Benz continues its strong finish to the year, overtaking Peugeot to record the third-highest result for the month. Vauxhall moved up to fifth, ahead of Citroen, which dropped Renault to seventh. Fiat was up a spot in eighth ahead of Nissan, and Toyota maintained its place in tenth.
Looking towards the end-of-year results, there is unlikely to be much change in the rankings unless fortunes swing drastically in December.
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