Diesel sales took a major thump, though, down 42% year-on-year to 98,191 from 170,733 in September 2017.

In another blow for Volkswagen, sales of its Audi brand slumped by 53% in the UK last month.

Edited by oldroverboy. on 04/10/2018 at 12:58

the dealership who said "WE HAVE to talk you through these. I said fine, talk to the empty chair while i get a coffee, otherwise i'm off.

As you probably know, they don't have to talk you through these things at all. Lending and insurance are regulated as is the sale of them, and if you are interested in them they must be sold compliantly (properly explained and establishing suitability, essentially). Otherwise there is no compulsion for them to subject you to the process. Some I am sure genuinely believe there is and won't be told otherwise. Sadly the salespeople have no choice but to peddle these products.

I had a lot to do with motor dealers in a past career. Car sales is not a job I would ever consider, unless it was for myself. Happily it's irrelevant now as I have retired.

I was talking to an Audi salesman the other day, and the main reason for the slump in new car sales is that stocks are very low. This is entirely due to the slow rate at which the WLTP tests have been carried out. Every permutation of every model has to be tested, and for some reason VAG has got further behind than most.

He gave me an example of several A3 cabriolets, ordered last spring but still yet to be given a build date: the cabriolets are being tested later than the hatchbacks.

I'm not surprised new car sales are down. I bought the gap insurance and paint protection four years ago a bit wiser now I hope. People a few years ago were buying cars from Europe when they were much cheaper over there, does that still go on? New cars seem way over priced. There's a Peugeot 508 in the paper featured as an exceptional car, £37,000. admittedly when the base model comes out it will be nearer 30k according the the article. How much will that be worth in 3 years time? All the other ads for new cars are of the so much deposit so much a month type. I've often thought about bangernomics being a good idea, now if I keep my car long enough I'll be into bangernomics and save myself a fortune....hopefully.

See: www.honestjohn.co.uk/news/car-market-1/2018-10/car.../

I wonder if part of the reduction is also due to people finding it increasingly difficult to find new cars that are not crammed to the roof with complex electronic gizmos that they really don't want.

Surely this is a good thing....people holding on longer to cars which can easily last ten+ years?....loans paid off?

I remember my parents had a 1938 Vauxhall that lasted them till 1957!......but they were pleased to get a car with a radio and some heating though!

www.theguardian.com/business/live/2018/oct/04/uk-c...e

Do the motor industry think that we "The Public" should go on buying cars just to suit them.???

I know that jobs depend on the motor industry, but they are victims of their own success at pushing people intp PCP's leases and all the financial trickery of the whole industry.

The last time I went to buy a new car, the purchase was the minor thing.

Really wanted me to buy the demo car on PCP at silly interest , Gap insurance, paint protection, fabric protection, alloy wheel protection etc etc were the earners for the dealership who said "WE HAVE to talk you through these. I said fine, talk to the empty chair while i get a coffee, otherwise i'm off.

The venga is doing well, still 3 years and 5 months warranty and 2 services to come with prepaid package. If i sell it, i lose that portion of the service pack as dealer won't take it into account.

Cost to me so far MOT £30 with service at Kia deaers and 2 front tyres at 30000 miles. and chocolates for service dept who are superb...

The headlines are misleading.

The dealers were pre-registering cars before September which didn't meat the WLTP emissions rules.

Come September the dealers are selling the pre-reg cars and claiming that new car sales are down.

Well yes, new car sales are down. BUT pre-reg sales are up!!!