The UK new LCV market set a new April record last month, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
It said a total of 30,440 LCVs were registered.
Year-on-year comparisons are effectively meaningless as last April’s sales were almost completely wiped out by the first Covid-19 lockdown, however last month’s registrations were also up 23.2% on the five-year average for the month.
Last month saw 20,037 2.5t-3.5t vans registered, along with 4,125 2.0t-2.5t vans, 1,595 vans weighing less than 2.0t, 4,134 pick-ups, and 549 4x4s.
With 127,796 LCVs registered so far this year, the SMMT said the market had returned to 2019 levels.
The bestselling 2.5t-3.5t van segment has been the main driver of growth, with registrations almost doubling year-on-year between January and April.
SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes said: “Businesses are investing in new vehicles as they grow in confidence, driven by a more positive economic outlook stimulated by the vaccine rollout.
“There has been particular uplift in larger van uptake, both from established demand in home delivery, but also more broadly as other sectors emerge from lockdown looking to maximise their payload efficiency.
“With a fragile supply chain still subject to risk of disruption and ongoing Covid restrictions, there is some way to go before we can say business is back to normal, but after a very difficult year, the outlook is much brighter.”
Regular market leader the Ford Transit Custom recorded 4,581 registrations in April, ahead of the Ford Transit on 2,641, the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter on 2,099, the Volkswagen Transporter on 1,661, and the Ford Ranger on 1,538.
Completing the top ten were the Vauxhall Vivaro (1,528), the Citroen Berlingo (1,075), the Vauxhall Combo (1,033), the Peugeot Partner (977), and the Citroen Relay (965).
