Top 10: UK car sales Q1 2014

The arrival of the ‘14’ plate saw 464,824 cars registered in the UK during March, an increase of 17.7% compared to the same month last year. That growth, which was higher than expected, resulted mainly from pent-up retail demand, continued low interest rates and the availability of some attractive finance deals.

Taking the first quarter as a whole, figures released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders show registrations now stand at 688,122. The ‘Private’ category accounts for just over half of that total.

Predictably, the three most popular models continue to be the Ford Fiesta, Ford Focus and Vauxhall Corsa. Lower down the top ten league table there weren’t many changes either, although the Fiat 500 and Audi A3 snuck into eighth and ninth place respectively.

Ford Fiesta ST 3-Door (2013) Front Side
With 39,240 registrations so far in 2014, the Ford
Fiesta remains the UK's best-selling new car.

One last stat: surprisingly, white paintwork was specified for 22.4% of new cars in March, making it the most popular colour choice.

Top 10: UK Car Registrations Q1 2014
Position Manufacturer Model Registrations
1 Ford Fiesta 39,240
2 Ford Focus 24,759
3 Vauxhall Corsa 23,839
4 Volkswagen Golf 19,160
5 Vauxhall Astra 17,465
6 Volkswagen Polo 13,631
7 Nissan Qashqai 12,937
8 Fiat 500 11,685
9 Audi A3 11,583
10 BMW 3 Series 11,027

Related posts:
Top 10: Best-selling car alternatives
Top 10: UK car sales 2013 - winners and losers
Top 10: UK car sales 2013

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts:

Saab 9-3 Aero Carlsson

Image
Saab has got experience of producing special editions in honour of rally driver Erik Carlsson, having previously named versions of the 900 and 9000 after him during the late 1980s and early 1990s. Now it has decided to do it again, this time to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the Swedish driver’s first win in Britain’s RAC Rally, which was achieved at the wheel of a Saab 96. Thankfully, the company has resisted the urge to just bung some fancy alloys and a few other extra bits onto something like a mid-range diesel model. Instead, it appears to have resurrected the limited edition Turbo X from a couple of years ago, as the new edition similarly features a turbocharged 2.8 litre petrol V6, Saab’s XWD all-wheel drive system and a six-speed automatic gearbox. The result is the 9-3 Aero Carlsson saloon, which turns out to be a very rapid car. With 276 bhp (205 kW / 280 PS) and a healthy 400 Nm of torque, the 0-60 mph (96 km/h) dash takes just 6.9 seconds. But it’s in the mid-range t...
Read more

American spec Fiat 500

Image
Fiat has released the first details and images of the North American specification 500. The tiny city car will be available in Pop, Lounge and Sport trim levels, and is distinguished from the European version by its more aggressive front and rear bumpers, bigger grille and flared sills. Another unique feature is the engine. Fiat has decided to use the 1.4 MultiAir unit currently found in models such as the Fiat Punto Evo and Alfa Romeo MiTo. Perhaps it felt that using the forthcoming two-cylinder TwinAir in the American 500 would have been too much for markets there to take? There’s no word yet on what power output the MultiAir will have, although in its current applications it comes with either 103 bhp (77 kW / 105 PS), 133 bhp (99 kW / 135 PS) or 167 bhp (125 kW / 170 PS). Similarly, prices have yet to be confirmed, but hopefully both details will have been sorted out by the time the order book for the 500 hatch opens later this year. For convertible fans, the 500C is due ...
Read more

i10 N Line versus the Up! GTI

Image
Hyundai has confirmed specifications and pricing for its sporty i10 N Line. This new variant – which arrives at dealers later this month – benefits from some cosmetic tweaks, unique suspension components and a more powerful 1.0 litre T-GDi turbocharged petrol engine.
Read more