UK new car sales reach a record 2.63m

New car sales reached an all-time high last year, official data has revealed.

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) announced that more than 2.63 million cars were registered in the UK in 2015.

%VIRTUAL-ArticleSidebar-motoring-guide%This is an increase of 6.3% on 2014. The previous record was set in 2003 at 2.58 million.

Last month also broke the record for December sales, up 8.4% on the previous year at 180,077.

SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes said high consumer confidence, wage growth and low-interest finance deals have encouraged motorists to buy new cars.

The fourth consecutive year of growth means sales have exceeded their pre-recession levels after dipping below two million in both 2009 and 2011.

Some 43 consecutive months of growth in year-on-year sales ended in October, but this was followed by a 3.8% rise in November and a bumper December.

Mr Hawes said he has "every reason to expect the market to hold broadly steady in 2016".