Sales of new cars rise as UK consumers take up good deals February is traditionally a quieter month for new car registrations, falling a month before the latest registration plate is introduced in March, but Mike Baunton, interim chief executive of the SMMT, said attractive new car deals were sustaining the market. He added: "New models are delivering ever greater fuel efficiency, practicality, refinement, technology and predictable ownership costs, so motorists are seeing the benefit of new car purchases." Registrations over first two months of the year were 10.3pc higher compared with a year earlier at 210,392 cars. The car market in Britain is far ourperforming the wider European market, which has continued to shrink into 2013. The luxury end of the market is performing better than the volume end, where car makers selling into Europe have been the hardest hit. New car sales dropped 17pc in Italy in February, 12pc in France, and 11pc in Germany. "Car manufacturers therefore are continuing to target the comparatively buoyant UK market, with larger than normal discounts to keep factories busy," said John Leech, UK head of automotive at KPMG.