The UK market is deceptively calm at present. The all-important September figures came in at 332,000, a drop of just 0.8% on the same month of last year. That sounds reasonable, but everyone is worried that this could be the calm before the storm. Most people expect the UK economy to go into recession next year and, as unemployment is now rising steadily, consumers are going to be very wary of splashing out on big-ticket items like cars. The fleet market is likely to be less badly affected, as large companies have spent the three years since the first financial crisis trying to build up their cash balances just in case that crisis has a sequel. Unfortunately small companies have had no such luxury, but they tend to be much less of a force in the new car market.
展开▼
