UK May 2015: Ford Focus & Mini shine – positive run about to end?

The Mini ranks inside the UK Top 10 for the 2nd month running.

* See the Top 10 best-selling models and Top 40 brands by clicking on the title *

Still going: the UK new car market signs its 39th consecutive month of year-on-year gains in May at 198.706 units, meaning no decline since February 2012… However this record run may be about to end: the 2.4% year-on-year gain in May is the smallest since the +0.1% of August 2012, and as we have seen in the sales detail by nation, only England is up (+4%) and concentrating most fleet sales while Scotland (-8%), Northern Ireland (-3%) and Wales (-5%) are down. In fact, if we remove fleet sales – accounting for 50.6% of all sales in May 2015 vs. 49.6% in May 2014 – the market is up a tiny 0.3% at 98107 units vs. 97.792 a year ago. To be sure, what the UK market is currently experiencing in nothing short of exceptional and we would need to go back to just after World War II to see such prolonged dynamism anywhere in Europe.

Brand-wise, below Ford up 3% to 12.2% share, Vauxhall reclaims the #2 spot off Volkswagen at 10.4% of the market vs. 8.7%. Great performers include Mercedes, Hyundai (+12%), Nissan (+14%), Renault, Jaguar, (+17%), Porsche (+39%), Mitsubishi (+49%), Mini (+65%) and Jeep (+218%). The Ford Fiesta remains the most popular choice of UK consumers with one percentage point advance on the Ford Focus, #2 for the second straight month and up a fantastic 26% year-on-year thanks to its facelift. The Vauxhall Corsa is back above the VW Golf, the Vauxhall Astra returns inside the Top 5 and is back above the VW Polo year-to-date at #6, the Mini is definitely boosted by the addition of the 5-door variant, up to #6 and inside the Top 10 two months in a row for the first time since December 2012. Notice also the Nissan Juke back among the UK’s ten most popular nameplates for the first time since last December.

Previous month: UK April 2015: Volkswagen above Vauxhall in best April in a decade

One year ago: UK May 2014: Vauxhall Mokka breaks into Top 10 for the first time

Full May 2015 Top 10 models and Top 40 brands below.