THE UK’s new car market grew by 5.3 per cent in March, making it the biggest ever month since the bi-annual plate change began in 1999.

A total of 518,707 new cars were registered in March, only the third time the market has surpassed half a million units in a single month. The month rounded off a record quarter, in which more than 770,000 new cars were registered – a 5.1 per cent increase over the first quarter in 2015.

Demand for alternative fuel vehicles showed a notable increase of 21.5 per cent in the month, as consumers continued to favour lower emission vehicles with lower running costs. Registrations of both diesel and petrol cars increased, meanwhile, with respective uplifts of 4.8 per cent and 4.7 per cent.

Growth was seen across all sales types in March: private and business registrations increased 3.8 per cent and 15.3 per cent respectively, while in the fleet sector demand grew 6.0 per cent, reversing small declines seen in January and February as buyers sought to maximise residual values by opting for the new March number plate.

Mike Hawes, chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), said: “The sector’s strong growth in March rounds off a robust first quarter as British consumers continue to demonstrate their appetite for new cars, especially ultra-low emission vehicles. This confidence should see registrations remain at a high but broadly stable level over the year, but could be undermined by political or economic uncertainty.”

Overall the supermini is the most popular car type – a trend which is as true in March 2016 as it was in March 2006, with more than a third of all buyers preferring compact driving.

The rapid rise of the SUV continues, with more than 85,000 of them newly registered in March – 140 per cent more than a decade earlier and accounting for around one in six new cars last month.

Ten years ago in March, just 1,354 hybrid and electric cars were registered. In the same month this year more than 17,000 left the UK’s showrooms – a staggering 12-fold, or 1,173 per cent, increase.

More than a fifth of cars registered in March 2016 were white, following the trend set in 2015, with neutral tones black and grey in second and third place.

Not all Britons are quite so keen to follow the trend, with some 3,300 new cars specified in orange, 2,000 in yellow and more than 1,000 buyers choosing pink.

The Ford Fiesta was yet again the biggest seller, followed by the Vauxhall Corsa.

Abarth continues to power ahead, showing the best month ever in the UK for the performance brand. It sold 714 cars – up 104 per cent on the 349 sold in the same period last year.

Two smaller brands showed the biggest percentage increases in sales. Infiniti recorded a 156 per cent rise, while Ssangyong sales rocketed 114 per cent.