In his latest automotive retail sector analysis for AM magazine David Francis delved into the strength of the Volkswagen range, Toyota's electric car conundrum and considered whether premium SUVs might be running out of road.

Following on from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) publication of September's new car registrations data, AM Online takes a look back at the key trends that shaped the market during August.

The only good news in August was that the market did not get any worse.

Registrations were up by 1.2%, but the monthly figure of 68,858 was the second-lowest since 2013 – only pandemic-hit 2021 was lower.

Among the manufacturers, Ford maintained its narrow lead year-to-date (YTD – just 867 units) over Volkswagen.