Best Selling Cars – Matt's blog

Seat Ibiza

* See the Top 20 best-selling models by clicking on the title! *

Austrian car sales jump 9% in 2009 at a very healthy 319,403 registrations. Not surprisingly, the new VW Golf VI takes the relay of the Golf V and finishes the year a distant 1st with 12,763 sales and 4% share. It lead the monthly rankings 9 times out of 12. Up 18%, the VW Polo is #2 overall at 8,900 sales and 2.8% and was #1 in October (1.081 sales).

At an amazing 3rd place, the Seat Ibiza delivers the best performance of the year, up from 8th in 2008 with 8,018 sales (+56%) and 2.5% of the Austrian market. It was even #1 in June with 1,402 sales, the 2nd highest monthly volume achieved by a non-VW model in the last 10 years.

In 4th, the Skoda Octavia is up an excellent 33% at 7,307 sales and 2.3% share, and took the lead for the very first time in this country in February. It is followed by its little sister the Skoda Fabia, #5 at 7,217 sales. Notice the Ford Fiesta (+55%), Audi A3 (+29%) and VW Golf Plus (+66%) all breaking into the yearly Top 10.

Full Year 2009 Top 20 Ranking Table below.

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Boosted by incentives, the Slovak market is up again at +7% and 74,717 registrations in 2009. For the first time of its career, the Skoda Fabia is under 10% share in the country at -10% and 7,116 sales (9.5%). Another first: perhaps for the first time in over a decade, the #2 model is not a Skoda but the Renault Thalia (aka Symbol), up an amazing 154% on 2008 at 4,606 sales and 6.2%, its personal best in the country.

The Skoda Octavia drops to 3rd at 3,722 sales and 5%, ahead of the Kia Cee’d, growing 62% at 3,215 sales (4.3%) and the Toyota Yaris at +64% with 2,220 sales (3%). Renault delivers the other two biggest progressions in the Top 30: the Clio 3 at +126% in 6th and the Megane at +205% in 15th. Note the Kia Soul at #27 and the Hyundai i20 at #28 are the best newcomers.

Full Year 2009 Top 50 Ranking Table: click on ‘Read more’ below.

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VW Golf

* See the Top 100 best-selling models by clicking on the title! *

This year European car sales were dominated by an unassailable duo: the VW Golf, boosted by the launch of its 6th generation, and the Ford Fiesta, also completely revamped in late 2008. These two models monopolised the top 2 spots all throughout the year.

The VW Golf is the best selling car in Europe for the 22nd year out of the last 27, with sales above the 500,000 mark for the first time since 2004. It lodges its best figure in 7 years at 571,441 sales, up a massive 24% on 2008. The Golf was #1 every single month this year except in March, and peaked at 59,629 units in June.

Ford Fiesta

The Ford Fiesta relaunch is a total success: the model ranks #2 in Europe for only the second time ever (after 1991) in the 33 year-long life of the nameplate. Its sales figure is up 44% year-on-year at 472,229 units, and it was the first car in 2 years to pass the 50,000 monthly sales mark when it clocked in 52,805 units in March, topping the market and interrupting 11 consecutive months of Golf leadership.

Below these two powerhouses, the Peugeot 207 rounds up the podium with sales down 10% at 367,549 units, above the Opel Corsa (-2%) and a Fiat Punto reinvigorated by scrappage schemes (+ 3 spots and 16%). The Fiat Panda delivers its best ever European year in 8th place with 298,936 sales (+34%) and peaked at #5 in February, its best-ever position in Europe, 7 years after the launch of the current model.

The Peugeot 308 makes what would end up being its only two appearances in the European Top 10 in June and July and finishes 2008 at #12, a far cry from the 307′s career. The Skoda Fabia makes August its favorite month when it reaches a best-ever #8, it ranks at a best-ever #13 at year-end. Thanks to the new generation, the Renault Megane reappears in the Top 10 in September for the first time since June 2006 and finishes the year at #11, up 14 spots and 41% on 2008.

Other great performers this year include the Fiat 500 up 5 spots to #17, the Nissan Qashqai continuing its impressive progression up 10 ranks to #19, the Renault Twingo up 9 to #23, the Opel Insignia up to #28, Dacia Sandero up to #31, Hyundai i10 up to #36, Ford Ka up to #39, VW Golf Plus up 12 to #40 and VW Tiguan up 7 to #41.

Previous year: Europe 2008: VW Golf defies the GFC

Next year: Europe 2010: VW Golf leader ahead of Fiesta and Polo

Full Year 2009 Top 100, every Monthly Top 10 Ranking Tables and every model sales below.

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Seat Ibiza

* See the Top 100 best-selling models by clicking on the title! *

Car sales continue to drop in Spain, down 18% this year at 955,397 registrations. For the 6th time after 1987, 1996, 1997, 2003 and 2006, the Seat Ibiza is the best-selling car in its native country with 40,859 sales and 4.3% share. The Renault Megane is reborn thanks to the new generation and climbs 5 spots to #2 at 35,536 units and 3.7%.

Renault Megane

The Peugeot 207 rounds off the podium at #3 with 31,039 sales (3.2%), followed by the Ford Focus at 30,311 and the Peugeot 308 at 28,986. The Citroen C4 is up two spots at #6 and the Nissan Qashqai is up 15 spots to reach a fantastic 8th place with 24,601 sales and 2.6%, up a massive 49% year-on-year…

Full Year 2009 Top 100 Ranking Table: click on ‘Read more’ below the Nissan Qashqai.

Nissan Qashqai

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Fiat Punto

* See the Top 50 best-selling models by clicking on the title! *

For the first time in at least a decade, the Renault Clio’s domination of Slovenian car sales is seriously threatened in 2009: the Fiat Punto and Kia Cee’d even were the two best selling models in the country after four months.

The Clio ended up keeping its pole position with 3,631 sales and 6.5%, followed by the Fiat Punto at 3,076 units (5.5%), Renault Megane at 2,777 (5%) and Kia Ceed at 2,730 (4.9% and +53%).

The market was hit by the GFC, down 19% at 55,712 registrations, with only a few models seeing their sales progress. Among them are the Hyundai i30 at #12 (+51%), the Nissan Qashqai at #19 (+35%) and the BMW 1 Series at #40 (+221%).

Full Year 2009 Top 50 Ranking Table below.

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Suzuki Wagon R

The Suzuki Wagon R has been the best selling Kei car in Japan since 2003 and managed to stay above 200,000 sales over the period: 221,066 in 2006, 226,725 in 2007, 205,354 in 2008 and 201,528 in 2009. The Daihatsu Move is #2 the whole time, constantly over 180,000 sales and peaking at 210,425 units in 2007.

In 3rd place during the whole period, the Daihatsu Tanto gains 59% in 2008 with 159,322 sales. The 4th position changes hands every year: it is the Honda Life in 2006 at 105,503 units and in 2008 at 97,126, the Daihatsu Mira in 2007 at 90,500 sales, and the Suzuki Alto in 2009 at 87,386 units.

Daihatsu Tanto

So you will have guessed it, the Kei car market is quite stable, the nameplates are very established and get revamped on a regular basis, with very few entirely new models being introduced. An illustration of this is the fact that only the Nissan Pino (#18 in 2007), Suzuki Palette (#6 in 2008) and Nissan Roox (#7 in December 2009) break into the Top 20 over the period.

Full Top 20 Ranking Tables for 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009: click on ‘Read more’ below the Nissan Roox pic.

Nissan Roox

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Toyota Prius

* See the Top 30 best-selling models by clicking on the title! *

2009 will be remembered as key in the history of Japan and world automobile. It is the year the Toyota Prius replaced the Corolla as Toyota’s core sales and profits enabler in Japan. It is also the first time a hybrid model took the reins of any car market in the world.

The second generation Prius, launched in 2003, had impressed by its constant progression all the way up to last year when it landed #5 at +22%. The launch of the 3rd generation in May 09 was the coup the grace that propelled the Prius to the Japanese pole position. It shot to #1 in May and never looked back, peaking at 31,759 units in September, ending the year at 208,876 sales.

As a result, the Corolla, operating in the same size category, suffered a massive blow: it dropped 37% to 6th and 90,178 sales, and even ranked 15th in September, its weakest level since the launch of the Corolla nameplate in 1966… For the first time since 1968 the Corolla is not the best selling Toyota in Japan, and the Prius is now the default Toyota model in the country.

Honda Insight

The other significant event of 2009, decidedly the year of the hybrid, is the February launch of the ‘Prius-killer’ from Honda, the Insight. For its 3rd month of sales, it managed to rank #1 in April, however dropped to #3 with the arrival of the new gen Prius, and except from one showing in December never managed to climb onto the podium again, finishing the year in 5th place with 93,283 sales.

Honda Fit

The Honda Fit slips down a reasonable 10% in 2nd place with 157,324 sales, followed by the Toyota Vitz at -5%. The Toyota Passo has an excellent year in 4th at +36%, and the Honda Freed confirms last year’s good start to rank #7.

You can check every monthly Top 30 for 2009 here.

Previous year: Japan 2008: Honda Fit crowned

Next year: Japan 2010: Toyota Prius breaks record

Full Year 2009 Top 30 Ranking Table below.

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Skoda Octavia

* See the Top 50 best-selling models and Top 10 Station Wagons by clicking on the title! *

Poland has managed to go through the financial crisis relatively unscathed, with car sales down just 2% this year to 336,618 registrations. Big change at the top of the models ranking: for the first time the Skoda Octavia passes its little sister Fabia to become Poland’s best selling car with 18.918 sales and 5.6% share, up a massive 32% over 2008 thanks to the new generation launched at the start of the year.

The Fabia is down 5% to 13,980 units and 4.2% and the Fiat Grande Punto climbs onto the podium thanks to sales up 25% to 10,841. The VW Golf fares even better: it is up 42% and 9 spots in 4th place with 9,880 sales and 2.9%, possibly the highest year-end ranking the Golf has ever achieved in Poland.

Other strong performers include the Kia Cee’d up 7% to #8, the Hyundai i30 up 59% to #9, the Toyota Avensis breaking into the Polish Top 10 for the first time at #10, up 11 spots and 51% and the Renault Megane up 14 ranks and 69% to #14. Notice also the Nissan Qashqai up a massive 86% to #18 and the Ford Fiesta boosted by its new generation at +114% to #19. The Opel Insignia (#24), Mitsubishi Lancer (#27) and Fiat 500 (#32) make their first appearance.

Previous year: Poland 2008: Skoda Octavia closes in on Fabia

Full Year 2009 Top 50 models and Top 10 station wagons Ranking Tables below.

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VW Golf

* See the Top 369 All-models ranking and each Monthly Ranking by clicking on the title! *

* Now updated with the #1 models for each Province *

Dutch car sales drop 22% in 2009 to 389,131 registrations, their lowest level in 30 years! The pole position changes hands this year with the VW Golf the best-selling car in the country at 13,148 sales and 3.4% share. It is only the 2nd time ever (after 2001) the Golf holds the #1 spot here.

The Toyota Aygo gains two spots to rank #2 at 11,488 sales and 3%. Together with the Peugeot 107 (#4 with 9,565 sales) and the Citroen C1 (#7 at 7,680 sales), they are the ‘Kolin sisters’: these 3 cars are badge-engineered versions of the same model all produced in Kolin, Czech Republic. In 2009 the Kolin sisters add up to 28,733 units and 7.4% of the Dutch market!

Thanks to the new generation, the Ford Fiesta climbs 31 spots to #3 at 10,910 sales (+143%) and the Toyota Prius has a stellar year in 6th place with 8,302 sales (+38%). For the first time (ever?) there are no Opels in the Top 10, whereas the brand used to clearly dominate sales in the Netherlands. Opel is only the 5th best-selling brand this year…

Full Year Top 369 and all monthly Ranking Tables: click on ‘Read more’ below the Toyota Aygo pic.

Toyota Aygo

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Ford Fiesta

* See the Top 303 best-selling models by clicking on the title! Many thanks to Kostas *

In a market down 17% to 220,412 registrations, the two best-selling models were not even in the Top 10 last year! Another complete reshuffle of the models ranking sees the new generation Ford Fiesta grab the pole position at 7,534 sales (+82%) and 3.4% share. It was #15 in 2008.

Nissan Qashqai

The Nissan Qashqai, #22 in 2008, is now the second best-selling car in Greece this year with 6,761 sales (+83%) and 3.1% share. It even lodges the 2 highest monthly volumes in the country this year, selling 1,104 units in August and 1,075 in July. The VW Golf gains 2 spots and ranks third at 3% of the market, followed by the Opel Corsa (2.8%) and the Toyota Auris & Yaris (both at 2.7%).  The all-new Opel Insignia lands directly in 7th position with over 5,000 sales and 2.3% share, and the Kia Cee’d breaks into the Top 10 for the very first time with 3,723 sales (1.7%).

Previous year: Greece 2008: Opel Astra, Toyota Yaris and Auris most popular

Next year: Greece 2010: Toyota Yaris, Ford Fiesta and Opel Corsa on podium

Full Year 2009 and every Monthly Top 50/303 Ranking Tables below.

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