20-06-2013

The van market is at last returning to some semblance of good health as its resurgence continues. To May, year-to-date van sales were up 13 per cent on last year’s figures.

The 13 per cent increase has pushed sales figures for the year to 110,136; a welcoming sign for the van sector, which has had to endure tough times of late. The market is in the midst of a sustained recovery, having recorded five consecutive months of increasing sales.

In terms of sales per manufacturer, Isuzu has seen the biggest increase, rising 191 per cent over the last five months. Chinese budget brand Great Wall has also profited from the recovery, witnessing a 95 per cent increase in sales. Fiat and Toyota have also enjoyed the year-to-date, with sales rising 66 per cent and 27.5 per cent respectively.

However, unfortunately not all manufacturers are rolling out the bunting to celebrate the successes of 2013. Van registrations for Renault have fallen by 34 per cent since the turn of the year, while Hyundai sales have declined 21.2 per cent.

Not all sectors of the commercial vehicle market have enjoyed the same level of success as many van manufacturers, with truck demand falling 9.4 per cent to 3,646 units for May, and declining 14.3 per cent during the first five months of 2013.

While total commercial vehicle sales fell slightly in May, the market is still up 8.3 per cent on last year with 127,461 units sold. With the number of commercial vehicle registrations seen by many as a good indicator of the health of the economy as a whole, the year-to-date figures provide plenty of reason for optimism. And the good news doesn’t stop there, with the Society of Motor Traders and Manufacturers recently reporting a year-to-date increase of 9.3 per cent on new car registrations.