MOTOR dealers in the north managed to sell 2,657 new cars during February despite the continuing restrictions placed on the industry by the Covid-19 health regulations.
Sales picked up slightly on the 2,324 recorded in January, but remained 25 per cent down on February 2020.
The industry as a whole is already 42 per cent behind 2020 sales after just two months, according to the latest data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
Car showrooms are legally required to remain closed to the public under the health regulations introduced in December.
But major dealers appear to have introduced digital showrooms and introduced contactless sales to avoid the wipe-out of April and May 2020, when just 168 new cars were sold in the whole of Northern Ireland.
The SMMT said new car registrations across the UK were down 35.6 per cent in February and 38 per cent down for the year to date.
The Ford Kuga was the north’s best-selling new car during February, with 92 vehicles sold, ahead of the Nissan Qashqai (90), Ford Fiesta (88), Ford Focus (82) and Volkswagen Golf (74).
The Renault Captur (71), Volkswagen T-Troc (66), Volkswagen Tiguan (66) and Kia Sportage (61) completed the top ten best-sellers.
