UK new car registrations up 9.6 pct in August - SMMT

LONDON, Sept 4 (Reuters) - British new car registrations jumped by nearly 10 percent in August compared with the same month last year as buyers took advantage of attractive financing deals, an industry body said on Friday.

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders said new car registrations rose by 9.6 percent to 79,060 units in August.

"August's strong performance has again been driven by attractive finance deals and a diverse range of technologically advanced models," Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said.

"Britain's budget-conscious buyers are taking advantage of low regular monthly payments that provide certainty and affordability."

The SMMT has previously said it expects full-year new car sales to rise nearly 4 percent compared to last year. In the first eight months of the year, sales were up by 6.7 percent. (Writing by William Schomberg; editing by Kate Holton)