As Britain’s car showrooms re-opened for business during June, more and more new car customers opted for Toyota and Lexus self-charging hybrids.
The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) reported a “tentative restart” for the retail industry and an overall decline in the market of almost 35%, but both Toyota and Lexus bucked the trend by increasing their sales.
Toyota sold 11,638 new cars, a 2.7% increase on the same month last year, giving it an 8% market share. And with LCVs taken into account, it achieved its highest June sales volume on record at 12,447 units. Lexus recorded 1,361 sales, a rise of 13.6% and a 0.94% market share.
Hybrid models were the drivers of volume: to date this year hybrid models have accounted for 63.71% of Toyota new car sales and 99.77% of Lexus sales.
For Toyota, the C-HR was top-performer in the hybrid line-up in June with 1,619 sales, ahead of Yaris (1,495) and RAV4 (1,416).
For Lexus, the new UX urban SUV led the way with 377 sales, ahead of the mid-size NX SUV (339) and the larger RX and RX L models (262).
These results helped power an overall 19.3 per cent increase in UK hybrid-electric vehicle sales compared to June 2019, giving the technology a seven per cent share of the new car market, according to SMMT data.
Paul Van der Burgh, Toyota (GB) President and Managing Director said, “The sales results for June are a fitting reward for the tremendous efforts our Toyota and Lexus retailers have made during the past weeks to resume trading in a way that is safe and gives customers complete peace of mind.
“Their commitment and the compelling quality of our growing range of self-charging hybrids have combined to deliver the perfect foundation for further growth in the months ahead. More than ever, consumers want to be sure they are making the right choice, and they are increasingly putting their faith in our hybrids.”
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