Top 10: UK car sales Q3 2015

Figures published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders show that 462,517 new cars were registered in the UK last month. Helped by a switch to the ‘65’ number plate age identifier, it was the highest ever September total.

As a result, year-to-date registrations now stand at 2,096,886. This number represents an increase of 138,690 units (or 7.1%) compared to the same period in 2014.

The furore caused by rigged emissions testing emerged too late in the month to seriously affect diesel’s market share. That said, the gradual move towards petrol-powered, electric and hybrid cars did continue.

Fuel	Diesel	Petrol	Alternative
2015 YTD	47.9%	49.4%	2.7%
2014 YTD	49.8%	48.3%	1.9%
Change	-1.9%	+1.1%	+0.8%

Of course, it’s also far too early to determine what the impact will be on Volkswagen Group’s sales performance. The Golf remains the fourth most popular model, while the Polo and Audi A3 still occupy places in the top ten league table.

The fourth quarter of 2015 should see demand shift further from diesel models

to petrol-powered alternatives such as the Volkswagen Golf BlueMotion TSI.

Top 10: Cumulative UK Car Registrations Q3 2015
Position	Manufacturer	Model	Registrations
1	Ford	Fiesta	108,054
2	Vauxhall	Corsa	72,835
3	Ford	Focus	69,053
4	Volkswagen	Golf	59,200
5	Nissan	Qashqai	49,715
6	Volkswagen	Polo	45,537
7	Vauxhall	Astra	42,687
8	Audi	A3	38,253
9	Mini	Hatch	35,679
10	Mercedes-Benz	C-Class	35,505

Related posts:
Top 10: UK car sales Q2 2015
Why buying a diesel car might not be wise
Top 10: UK car sales 2014 - winners and losers