June new car registrations saw a 10.8% rise and were up 19.9% for the first half of 2010.

It’s the twelfth successive monthly increase, despite just 0.7% of registrations coming from the scrappage scheme, compared with 19.2% during the same period last year.

This June was 16% above the level forecast by Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) in April, but was 8.5% off the 1999-2009 average.

Download full June 2010 new car registrations table

Paul Everitt, SMMT chief executive, said: “The new car market continued to perform above expectations in June, with fleet sector registrations up 25% compared to this time last year.

“The results indicate improved business confidence and a strengthening economic recovery.

“The industry still expects challenging economic conditions in the second half of the year and Government action to improve access to credit for consumers and businesses will be important in sustaining the momentum of recovery.”

RMI

Sue Robinson, RMI director, said: "The important factor for the remainder of the year will be consumer confidence, and with the VAT rise due in January there’s an incentive for buyers to beat the 2.5% hike by purchasing during the remainder of the year, which would give a welcome boost to the market in the second half of 2010."

• Alternatively fuelled vehicle (AFV) registrations matched their largest ever market share, at 1.2% in June. AFV volumes rose by 157.4% in the month and have grown by over 150% in four of the past six months. The rise in diesel sales helped sustain total market growth. The Nissan Qashqai was the best selling diesel in June.
• The Vauxhall Astra was the best selling model in June, its first number one slot since February 2008. Ford’s Fiesta had the highest registrations over the first half of 2010.
• With the exception of the mini and executive segments, growth was evident across the board. The strongest rises were in the MPV, luxury saloon and lower medium sectors.