The latest figures show that total registrations rose to 78,942 for the year to date, up 7.0%, with the figure for March up 8.1% to 48,675 units.
Vans performed well, with the Q1 figure up 11.7% to 68,882 whilst the sector also saw growth of 11.5% for March, reaching a total of 43,684 units.
However, the trucks sector remains down, with a drop of 16.7% year to date to 10,060 units. For the month of March, truck sales were down 15.15 to 4,991 units.
‘Overall CV registrations continue to perform positively with the market increasing 8.1% in March, boosted by an uplift in van demand,’ said Nigel Base, SMMT commercial vehicle manager. ‘Truck demand remains weak, but this could be indicative of delayed purchasing decisions ahead of the introduction of new Euro 6 legislation later this year. Next week kicks off with the 2013 CV Show at the NEC and this will provide operators with an excellent opportunity to explore the latest models as we welcome a number of high-profile world debuts and product launches.’