High fuel prices and Government legislation appears to be hitting sales of off-road 4x4 vehicles, figures out today showed.

High fuel prices and Government legislation appears to be hitting sales of off-road 4x4 vehicles, figures out today showed.

New registrations of 4x4s last month dipped 18% compared with May 2007, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said.

Big Government increases in road tax for gas-guzzling vehicles such as 4x4s have been the subject of much debate of late at a time when petrol and diesel prices at the pumps are at record highs.

The 4x4 dip in sales contributed to an overall drop of 3.5% in total new vehicle registrations last month.

The May 2008 total was 179,272 and represented the first monthly fall since February - the dip following two months of growth that surprised the motor industry.

Demand for private cars fell 9.5% last month, while business car sales were down even more - by 15.4%.

Sales of mini-sized cars soared 12% last month, however, and this segment is up 27.4% for the year so far.

Although diesel now costs around 130p a litre, sales of diesel-powered cars still rose 8.4% last month.

SMMT chief executive Paul Everitt said: "The slow-down in the overall new car market in May comes as no surprise and reflects concerns across the economy.

"The figures are in line with our forecasts for 2008, and we expect a tough year ahead. Vehicle manufacturers and dealers will have to work hard to attract consumers, who are facing increasing household and motoring expenses."

These were the top 10 selling models in May 2008: 1. Ford Focus 2. Vauxhall Corsa 3. Vauxhall Astra 4. Ford Fiesta 5. Volkswagen Golf 6. Peugeot 207 7. Vauxhall Zafira 8. Vauxhall Vectra 9. BMW 3 Series 10.Ford Mondeo