After a trip to Bulgaria and the much anticipated June 2012 World Roundup, I wasn’t going to let the London Olympics go without an update on the UK car market. London-ed out already? No worries, you can visit 167 additional countries and territories in my blog, go on, you know you want to!
Or you can check out the Top 260 best-selling models in the US in July here.
The last time I spoke to you about the UK car market in detail was in May 2011 for the Royal Wedding…
Since then there has been a lot of water down the (London) bridge. That was an easy pun…
Over the first 6 months of 2012, new car sales are up 3% year-on-year in the UK to 1,057,680 units, which in the current sombre European context is actually an excellent performance. The Ford Fiesta is the best-seller in the country as it has been in 2009, 2010 and 2011, with sales up 15 percent to 59,570 units and a 5.6 percent market share.
Below, the Vauxhall Corsa is up 22 percent and passes the Ford Focus, thanks to 47,147 and 4.5 percent share vs. 43,853 and 4.1 percent. The Corsa even led the overall market in May for the first time since October 2008.
The VW Golf and Vauxhall Astra stay #4 and #5 while the Nissan Qashqai delivers a brilliant performance, up 17 percent and 3 spots to #6 with 23,435 sales and 2.2% share. If it keeps this ranking until the end of the year, the Nissan Qashqai will become the highest ranking Japanese model in the UK ever at year-end.
The BMW 3 Series is up one to #7 and the Mini also at #9. Within the Top 20, the best performers over the period are the Fiat 500, up 26 percent and 4 ranks to #11 with 17,495 units, even ranking within the monthly Top 10 for 3 consecutive months in April, May and June. The Audi A3 is also up 4 spots to #12 with 16,352 units, the Toyota Yaris up no less than 19 spots and 54% to #15 with 15,241 sales, and the Nissan Juke up 8 to #16 with 14,600 units.
UK 6 months 2012
| Pos | Model | 6m 2012 | % | /11 | 6m 2011 | % | Pos |
| 1 | Ford Fiesta | 59,570 | 5.6% | 15% | 51,643 | 5.0% | 1 |
| 2 | Vauxhall Corsa | 47,147 | 4.5% | 22% | 38,597 | 3.7% | 3 |
| 3 | Ford Focus | 43,853 | 4.1% | 0% | 43,825 | 4.3% | 2 |
| 4 | VW Golf | 34,572 | 3.3% | 4% | 33,118 | 3.2% | 4 |
| 5 | Vauxhall Astra | 30,483 | 2.9% | -7% | 32,883 | 3.2% | 5 |
| 6 | Nissan Qashqai | 23,435 | 2.2% | 17% | 19,992 | 1.9% | 9 |
| 7 | BMW 3 Series | 23,035 | 2.2% | 5% | 21,866 | 2.1% | 8 |
| 8 | VW Polo | 22,349 | 2.1% | -2% | 22,897 | 2.2% | 7 |
| 9 | Mini | 18,545 | 1.8% | 0% | 18,619 | 1.8% | 10 |
| 10 | Vauxhall Insignia | 17,890 | 1.7% | -31% | 25,950 | 2.5% | 6 |
| 11 | Fiat 500 | 17,495 | 1.7% | 26% | 13,879 | 1.3% | 15 |
| 12 | Audi A3 | 16,352 | 1.5% | 21% | 13,558 | 1.3% | 16 |
| 13 | Peugeot 207 | 15,783 | 1.5% | -13% | 18,164 | 1.8% | 11 |
| 14 | BMW 1 Series | 15,340 | 1.5% | -4% | 16,046 | 1.6% | 13 |
| 15 | Toyota Yaris | 15,241 | 1.4% | 54% | 9,915 | 1.0% | 34 |
| 16 | Nissan Juke | 14,600 | 1.4% | 27% | 11,461 | 1.1% | 24 |
| 17 | Mercedes E Class | 13,225 | 1.3% | -1% | 13,292 | 1.3% | 17 |
| 18 | Ford Mondeo | 11,991 | 1.1% | 0% | 12,001 | 1.2% | 22 |
| 19 | Mercedes C Class | 11,738 | 1.1% | -27% | 16,185 | 1.6% | 12 |
| 20 | VW Passat | 11,614 | 1.1% | -23% | 15,016 | 1.5% | 14 |
See the Top 347 best-selling models (all of them) in the UK over 6 months 2012 here
See the Top 316 best-selling models (all of them) in the UK over 3 months 2012 here
See the Top 323 best-selling models (all of them) in the UK in 2011 here
Further down, the Range Rover Evoque brilliantly breaks into the UK Top 30 at #29 with 9,496 sales and 0.9 percent share.
A very interesting development at #32: the Citroen DS3 is now the brand’s best-seller in the country with 8,889 sales and 0.9 percent as the C1 ranks #36 and the C3 is down 48% and 29 spots to #58.
As far as ‘locals’ are concerned (even though these brands are now owned by overseas companies), let’s notice the Mini Countryman at #52, the Land Rover Freelander at #53, the Jaguar XF at #55, the Land Rover Discovery at #70 and the Range Rover Sport at #73.
In other news, the Toyota Prius ranks just above the Lexus CT at #95 and #96 respectively, the Peugeot 208 is #134 with 1,308 sales, the MG 6 is #189 with 523 units, the Bentley Continental GT/GTC is #194 with 474 sales, the Aston Martin V8/V12 Vantage #235, the Rolls-Royce Ghost #246, the Bentley Continental Flying Spur #267, the Rolls-Royce Phantom #288, Bentley Continental Supersport #289, Aston Martin Cygnet #294…
…and Vauxhall VXR8 #347 with one unit sold.
Now!
You are an expert at car sales in the UK and I’m sure it is with great relief that you will now tune in on the Olympics broadcast, now being able to decipher every single car that appears in the background or on London streets. Let the show off begin…
Source: SMMT
Matt Gasnier, based in Sydney, Australia, runs a blog named Best Selling Cars, dedicated to counting cars all over the world.
Wow the best selling cars in the UK just keep shrinking. It used to be the Ford Mondeo. Then it’s the Focus, now it’s the Fiesta. Maybe if someday Ford made a sub-Fiesta car (Kei-sized?) it’ll become British’ top seller!
They do, it’s called the Ford Ka. It’s based on the Fiat Panda/500 but isn’t as good.
Wow, the Ka is nowhere on the list. It used to sell pretty well, right? In the top ten. I guess they don’t like the redesign.
The Ka is #26, just behind the Audi A1 and the Skoda Fabia.
The smaller cars gets bigger all the time, first gen mondeo isn’t a lot smaller on the inside than the current focus.
Two BMW and two Mercedes in the top 20. Not bad for a broke country.
A broke country with high fuel prices. The popularity of BMW’s 1-series and 3-series is partly attributable to their excellent diesel engines. We’d probably buy more Honda Accords like you guys across the pond, if Honda made a decent diesel engine and didn’t insist on gouging UK customers on price.
If only the Opel brand was as strong as Vauxhall…..
Shh! Don’t tell the Brits Vauxhall is actually Opel.
The Brits already know. 75% of UK citizens have a passport and can easily see the same cars in Ireland and France. It is amazing how poorly some companies sell in the UK even when they have manufacturing operations there.
75%? What are they, the shut ins of Europe? Not being a Schengen country and only 75% having passports is week.
Or Holden in the case of the VXR
My point is the small Vauxhall brand Has high market share compared to Opel. Why?