Vauxhall is celebrating a 1-2 finish in the February 2023 new car sales charts, following the release of Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) registration data.
The Vauxhall Corsa took the top spot as last month’s best-selling new car, with 2,818 examples sold. It was followed by the Vauxhall Mokka in second place, with 1,805 being registered.
Healthy outlook for new car sales
Crossover SUVs like the Mokka proved popular in February, with the Nissan Juke in third place, followed by the Ford Puma. The Hyundai Tucson claimed fifth in the sales charts, with seven of the top ten best-sellers being SUVs.
New car sales as a whole increased by 26.2 percent in February, representing the seventh month of growth in the marketplace.
Hybrid electric vehicles saw a considerable 40 percent jump in sales, with battery electric registrations rising by 18.2 percent. Plug-in hybrids increased by only 1 percent, whilst diesel sales fell by 7 percent.
The SMMT expects sales of new plug-in hybrid and battery electric vehicles to reach 488,000. However, it says that the “upcoming Budget must deliver measures” that continue to help sales of electrified models.
Vivaro electrifies new van sales
Vauxhall also claimed another top spot in the February 2023 sales charts, thanks to the electric Vivaro van.
It achieved the result of being the best-selling electric Light Commercial Vehicle (LCV) in the UK for the month, with 264 examples finding new homes. Combined with the smaller Combi Electric, it means one-in-four electric vans sold had a Vauxhall badge.
Overall van sales increased by 8.5 percent in February, marking the best month for LCV registrations in 25 years. However, total electric van registrations fell by 44.5 percent compared to February 2022.
Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said: “Following a torrid 2022, the UK van market is returning to sustained growth that is exceeding even pre-pandemic levels. Given the importance of vans to keeping the British economy and society on the move, this growth is good news.
“With the ZEV market still at a very early stage, however, a concerted effort by all stakeholders to accelerate van-suitable chargepoint installation must become an urgent priority, enabling long-term net zero fleet investment at the scale necessary.”
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