While July 2021 sales were 15 percent up on July 2020, the total figure of 2,311 new passenger vehicles sold was on 100 fewer than the same month in 2019, the last full year before the coronavirus arrived, car dealership and service center association AMTEL says.

January to July saw 15,251 cars sold, an even bigger rise on year, of just under 37 percent, and again just over 100 units lower than the corresponding period in 2019.

SUVs, along with smaller-to-medium-size cars were best-sellers, while just under 700 hybrids were sold, along with 30 electric cars and 63 CNG-powered cars, BNS reports.

Skoda was top manufacturer by new car sales, with 328 shifted, just two more than its parent company-branded cars, Volkswagen, and 12 more than Toyota at 316 units.

The Octavia, the T-Cross and the RAV4 were the top three models for each manufacturer respectively, and indeed for sales asa whole.

Utility vehicles sold 339 units in July 2021, in this case a fall on year of just over 8 percent, a segment topped by Citroen, followed by Renault and then Toyota.

Just over 3,350 utility vehicles were sold January-July 2021, a near-41-percent rise on year.

Scania, Volvo and Mercedes-Benz were most successful brands in truck sales, with 20, 15 and 13 units sold respectively in July, according to BNS.

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