The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders said new car registrations rose by a yearly 8.6 percent last month to 462,517 units.

"It is too early to draw conclusions (from the VW scandal), but customer demand for diesel remained strong, accounting for one in two cars registered," SMMT Chief Executive Mike Hawes said.

Sales of VW-branded cars in Britain were up just under 4 percent compared to September last year, with Volkswagen-owned (>> Volkswagen AG) Audi seeing sales rise 11 percent in the same period.

(Reporting by Costas Pitas, writing by William Schomberg)