New van market declines in September

New van registrations suffered a decrease in demand in September, following three months of increased demand!

Statistics released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) revealed a decrease of 4.1 percent in new van registrations in September 2017 in comparison with September 2016. A total of 57,368 new van registrations were made last month, in comparison with 59,857 in September 2016, as new van buyers tucked in to new 67-plate vans.

New van registrations

The decrease in September succeeds an increase of 1.5 percent in August 2017 and three successive months of increases, SMMT Chief Executive, Mike Hawes believes business confidence or lack of confidence may have been behind the decrease:

"Business confidence has taken a hit recently as economic and political uncertainty continues, so fluctuations in purchasing patterns are to be expected. We must remember that the van market remains at a historically high level but growth will depend on better economic conditions and business confidence, something government must prioritise."

Despite the overall decrease in September 2017, new pick-up vans enjoyed another successful month with a steady increase in demand of 0.4 percent in comparison with September 2016. The only other new van category to see an increase were new large vans with an increase of 0.1 percent in September 2017, seeing large vans remaining as the best-selling new vans, with 35,928 registrations last month.

New small vans were the biggest casualty last month, experiencing a 25.5 percent decrease in demand from September 2017, new medium vans also experienced a decline last month of 10.7 percent.

LCV registrations this year to date have fallen 3.1 percent overall, however demand for new vans remains at a high level.

September's best-selling new vans

The top 10 best-selling new vans table has witnessed some alterations, however the top 2 selling new vans remain the same as August 2017: In first place, yes you guessed it The new Ford Transit Custom van with 8,892 units! The Ford Transit Custom sold over twice as much as the second best-selling van, its' big brother the new Ford Transit van. The third entry from new Ford vans, the new Ford Transit Connect dropped two places to fifth in the table last month, with the new Mercedes Sprinter and new Volkswagen Transporter both moving up one place each to third and fourth in the table respectively.

In sixth place, the new Vauxhall Vivaro rose one place in the table from August 2017, with the new Citroen Berlingo rising two places up to seventh. In eighth place, a new entry in the top 10 best-sellers table, the new Ford Ranger being an example of the strong month experienced by new pick-up vans. The new Ford Ranger is the FOURTH top 10 entry for Ford vans this month. Two entries from new Peugeot vans take up the two remaining top-10 spots, with the new Peugeot Partner dropping one place to ninth and the new Peugeot Boxer dropping a disappointing four places to tenth.

The top 6 selling new vans of September 2017 were identical to the top 6 selling new vans this year to date, representing the impact of September and new 67-plate vans on the new van market.

New van finance

At Vansdirect we aim to keep you informed of all the latest goings on in the new van world, with our blog. We also have a huge range of new vans for sale, including fantastic offers on the UK's best-selling Ford Transit Custom van! All of our new vans are available with a choice of flexible van finance options which include: van leasing, contract hire and hire purchase. Looking for a new 67-plate vanOr maybe a 17-plate clearance bargain? Call us today on 0845 021 0444 or enquire online for a free quote - WE ARE VANSDIRECT!