Britain’s new van market nudged down 0.2% last month to 24,506 units according to data released by the Society for Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
Year-to-date figures stable, up 2.6% to 216,472 registrations compared with 2015.
Heavier vans saw a small decline in demand, with registrations for the 2.5t-3.5t segment down 2.2% last month. However these larger vehicles accounted for 63% of all the vans registered so far this year.
Figures for smaller LCVs painted a mixed picture, with registrations of new vans below 2.0 tonnes up 1.6%, while vans between 2.0t-2.5t fell 2.8%.
Year-to-date figures show heavy vans continue to dominate the market, with registrations up 10.8% as operators seek to maximise the productivity of their fleet.
“After a record performance in the first half of the year, it was inevitable growth would start to level off over the summer,” said SMMT chief executive, Mike Hawes.
“Maintaining business confidence for LCV operators will be critical to this sector’s future performance.”