Truck registrations rose by a fifth in June, leading to hopes of a second half recovery in the market, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.
Registrations of commercial vehicles over six tonnes in June were 3,463 compared with 2,893 in June last year.
However, for the first six months of the year, the market is still down 7.5 per cent on last year at 17,964 units.
“For trucks, growth in June could be the first sign of a Q3/Q4 recovery as buyers pick from late Euro 5 or new Euro 6 models ahead of new Euro-standard legislation hitting from 2014,” said Nigel Base, SMMT commercial vehicle manager.
DAF retained its market leadership with a 28 per cent share in the first half, followed by Mercedes and Scania. Iveco and Scania are the only two major manufacturers to have seen their registrations rise in the first half.
Overall the commercial vehicle market rose 7.6 per cent in the first half of 2013 driven by strong van registrations (up 11.2 per cent).
“Looking ahead to the rest of 2013, we expect the van market to remain stable with a return to a more normal replacement cycle sustaining the market,” said Base.
