New car economy up a third in 10 years
07.12.2011 - Andy Goodwin
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The average fuel consumption of a car sold in the UK has hit 52.5mpg - 12mpg more than the same figure in 2001 - an increase of 29 per cent.
The trend towards more economical cars has been recorded by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). Between 2001 and 2006 the figure rose around 3.5mpg, but then it jumped by another 8.5mpg between 2007 and 2011, as motorists sought to reduce their outgoings in a tough economy.
Diesel and alternative fuel vehicles both had record market share in November of 55.6 per cent and 1.6 per cent, aiding the upwards trend in economy.
Overall, new car sales in November 2011 were down 4.2 per cent on the same month in 2010, however this was a better result than predicted.
Total car sales for the first 11 months of 2011 are 1,822,065 which is 4.5 per cent down on 2010.
The top ten selling models in November were the Ford Fiesta, Vauxhall Corsa, Volkswagen Golf, Ford Focus, Vauxhall Astra, Volkswagen Polo, Nissan Qashqai, BMW 3 Series, MINI Hatch and Mercedes C-Class saloon.
Sales of MPVs rose by 18.5 per cent, boosted by the sales success of new models including the Ford C-MAX.
