New
car sales have seen a 'strong' first half of the year says the Society of
Motoring Manufacturers (SMMT).
New
figures show car sales rose 10.6% to 1.28m in the six months to June, compared
to the same period last year.
The
Society of Motoring Manufacturers (SMMT) says the figures mark the best
half-year sales total since 2005.
"Improving
economic conditions have helped propel the UK new car market to a strong first
half-year performance," said SMMT's chief executive Mike Hawes.
"The
overall market has risen faster than we were expecting but, after a bumper
March, growth is showing signs of stabilising around our forecast level,"
he added.
Sales
of alternatively-fuelled cars rose 51.3% to 23,337.
The
best selling model in June was the