Boost for motor trade as new car sales speed up by 48%
Figures released by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) show a total of 17,054 new cars were registered in March — a spike of 48.5% when compared with the same month last year.
In the first quarter of 2015, there were 52,543 new cars licensed — a rise of 33.5% compared with the same quarter last year
A total of 4,492 used (imported) cars were licensed, representing a fall of 7.7% on the same month last year, while there was a decrease of 1.9% in used (imported) private cars licensed in the quarter, compared with the same period in 2014.
The most popular make of new cars licensed for the first time last month was Volkswagen (2,042), followed by Hyundai (1,849), Nissan (1,843), Toyota (1,499,) and Ford (1,401).
Volkswagen (6,315) was also the most popular make of new car licensed in the first quarter of 2015, followed by Toyota (6,022), Ford (5,286) and Nissan (5,062)
There was a 56.3% increase in the number of new goods vehicles licensed in March 2015, an increase of 897 vehicles, bringing the total to 2,490.
The total number of new vehicles licensed during March 2015 was 20,659 compared with 13,998 during the same month in 2014 — an increase of almost 50%.
Figures released by the Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI) found new car registrations were up 33% (19,046) last month, compared to March of last year. SIMI said new car registrations for the first three months were up 30% on the same period in 2014.
SIMI director general Alan Nolan said the increase in new car registrations “is a good reflection of the growing consumer confidence in the economy, which is so important for industry”.
In February, SIMI said it expects 2015 sales to “comfortably exceed” 100,000 for the first time since 2008. Light commercial vehicles are expected to top 20,000, for the first time in six years.
Economist Jim Power said that providing political and economic conditions remain stable, new car sales could hit 120,000 during 2015 after a number of “very difficult years for the motor trade”.
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