Consumers 'still opting for gas guzzlers'
Published On 8 May 2007
Growing concerns over global warming did not prevent the British public from using car finance deals to purchase record numbers of un-environmental motors last year, according to new research.Data gathered by Experian, a global information solutions company, found that overall car sales in the UK dipped by 0.8 per cent in 2006, but that sales of cars with larger engines - such as sports cars and SUVs - increased.
"Despite larger vehicles, such as SUVs, coming under heavy criticism last year for the harm they cause to the environment, the downsizing that had been expected does not appear to have taken place," explained Kirk Fletcher, managing director of Experian's automotive division.
However, Mr Fletcher said that people's habits could change in the coming year, and they may choose to use their car finance deals to buy vehicles which are better for the environment.
"With the recent Budget announcement that drivers of the most polluting vehicles will face a 30 per cent increase in road tax, it will be interesting to see how sales go over the following year," he added.
Recent figures from the Retail Motor Industry Federation indicated that fewer car dealers have opted to offer insurance - such as credit protection insurance - when selling car finance deals since the industry came under the regulation of the Financial Services Authority in 2005.
