04/05/2017
New car sales plunged by a fifth in April compared to the same month last year, industry figures show.
The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said new car registrations slumped by 19.8% to 152,076.
It said the "significant decline" came after motorists brought forward purchases to March - when there had been an "exceptional performance" - to avoid new vehicle excise duty (VED) rates which came into force on 1 April.
The worst fall was among private motorists, where sales volumes dropped by 28.4%, while demand from businesses and large fleets was also down.
Registrations fell by 19.8% following bumper sales in the previous month but sales are still ahead of 2016 for the year to date.