New vans enjoy record month while Ford pass 100,000 sales

Last month was a record-breaking one for sales of new vans, according to data published today by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

Almost 30,000 new vans were registered in November, representing a 2.5 percent increase year-on-year and the best month for two decades.

It's 'as you were' for the pickup segment, which enjoyed a 36.7 percent increase on November 2015 with almost 4000 units registered last month. The true winner for November however, is the 2.0-2.5-tonne medium van segment, with demand up 43.1 percent on the same time last year. Just under 5,000 vans were registered.

While the 2.5-3.5-tonne large van segment suffered a 4.4 percent drop in demand, it is still by far the best performing van segment, with 18,316 new vans registered. Further evidence of this lies in the fact that demand for large vans for the year-to-date is actually up 7 percent, almost 15,000 more large vans sold than at the same point last year.

Overall growth for light commercial vehicles (LCVs) is at 2.5 percent - a slight increase of 733 units compared to November 2015's sales figures.

Mike Hawes, Chief Executive, SMMT, said: "The new van market's growth in November is welcome news and an encouraging sign of ongoing business confidence. With almost 350,000 light commercials registered so far this year, the sector remains on track to beat 2015's record-breaking performance. For this success to continue in 2017 and beyond, however, it is essential that the economic conditions that have kept this sector so buoyant in recent years are maintained."

Looking at the manufacturers, nothing has changed at the top - Ford remain at the top of both the monthly and yearly tables having passed 100,000 sales for 2016. Ford's dominance will be a concern for its rivals - Ford has almost sold more vans in 2016 than all three of its nearest competitors COMBINED. What's worse for second-placed Volkswagen is that the gap between it and Ford is increasing. They'll be hoping to turn this around in 2017.

Mercedes maintained its strong finish to the year, jumping Peugeot in the monthly ranking to finish in third place. Vauxhall climbed to fifth, ahead of Citroen and Renault in sixth and seventh, respectively. The top 10 is completed by Nissan, Fiat and Toyota.

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