UK new car registrations rise 5.3 percent year-on-year in March - SMMT
LONDON (Reuters) - British new car registrations rose 5.3 percent year-on-year last month, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders said on Wednesday, the best month of sales since August 1997.
Cheap credit and attractive finance deals have all helped to boost demand in Europe's second biggest car market pushing registrations to 518,707 units.
Sales in the month are traditionally strong as new registration plates are issued every six months, in March and September but last month was the highest March on record, the SMMT said.
Demand for Volkswagen-branded rose marginally by 0.02 percent last month, the first increase since September after which sales fell due to the diesel emissions scandal which has prompted the biggest crisis in the German carmaker's history.
(Reporting by Costas Pitas; Editing by Ana Nicolaci da Costa)
