New car sales skid downhill Diesels worst hit in September crash

NEW car sales have suffered their first September fall for six years – with demand for diesels diving more than a fifth.

It’s the most important month for the trade after March because of the number plate change.

But figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) showed sales fell 9.3% to 426,170, marking the sixth monthly drop in a row.

The biggest fall was in demand for diesel cars, which slumped 21.7% to 170,732.

This was partly triggered by the Volkswagen emissions cheating scandal, then threats to charge diesel owners for driving in some cities. Sales of Jeep motors (right) crashed 57% last month. Renault, Fiat and Skoda also suffered big declines.

The SMMT warned “confusion” over diesels and their impact on air quality risked backfiring as negative publicity undermined the rollout of the latest low-emissions models.

The trade body said: “If new diesel registrations continue on this negative trend, UK average new car CO2 levels could actually rise this year, the first time such an increase would have occurred since average CO2 emissions were recorded.”

The SMMT also blamed “economic and political uncertainties” for last month’s drop.

Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said: “September is always a barometer of the health of the UK new car market so this decline will cause considerable concern.”

Sales of new petrol cars fell 1.2% last month while “alternative fuel vehicles” – including all-electric and hybrids – jumped 41% to 22,628. Rebecca Long-bailey, Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for Business, said the drop in car sales reflected “an economy being driven into the ditch”.

She added: “This is worrying not only for the car industry but it speaks to a deeper economic malaise with anaemic economic growth figures this year and real wages lower than 10 years ago.”