UK Full Year 2011: Ford Fiesta #1, VW Golf at highest ranking ever

Ford Fiesta

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There is now a Full Year 2011 UK Top 323 models Ranking available! Click here to see.

In 2011 the English car market is down 4% at 1,941,253 registrations, its 2nd time below the 2 million mark in 3 years and the worst year since 1995. The Ford Fiesta is the best-selling model in the country for the third consecutive year in spite of sales down 7% to 96,122 units. It is the first time in at least 50 years that no model sells at least 100,000 units in the UK…

Ford Focus

This is the 8th year the Ford Fiesta leads sales in the UK after 1990, 1991, 1996 to 1998, 2009 and 2010, to be compared with the Escort’s 12 years and the Cortina’s and Focus’ 10 years. At #2, the Ford Focus is helped by the new generation and grows a timid 5% to 81,832 sales and 4.2%, not a convincing performance from UK’s ex-best-seller which seems to have fared better earlier in the year when the new generation wasn’t in dealerships yet. It is followed by the Vauxhall Corsa stable at 77,751 sales.

VW Golf

But 2011’s big event was the first place of the VW Golf in February: never before had a foreign model led UK sales! The Golf gains 9% to reach 63,368 sales and ranks 4th, the 37 year-old nameplate’s highest ever ranking in England! It is also the highest ever ranking reached by a foreign model in the country, equal with the Peugeot 206 (#4 in 2002). Never before has a foreign model climbed on the year-end UK podium and in 2012 the Golf could well be the first one…

Nissan Qashqai

The Vauxhall Astra crumbles down 22% to #5, ahead of the Vauxhall Insignia delivering its best year yet at #6 with 46,324 sales, up 24%. The VW Polo is down 1 spot to #7 and the BMW 3 Series is stable at #8. The locally-built Nissan Qashqai improves to #9, its highest year-end ranking in the UK so far and the highest ranking reached by a Japanese model in 18 years. The Qashqai is only the 2nd Japanese car to manage to stay in the Top 10 for 2 consecutive years with the Datsun Sunny.

In December, the Ford Fiesta leads for the 10th time this year, the Vauxhall Corsa stays 2nd, the Astra is up to #3, the Mini up to #7 and the Hyundai i10 reappears in the Top 10 for the first time since February 2010 with 2,411 sales and 2% share.

Previous month: UK November 2011: Mercedes C Class in Top 10 for 2nd time ever

Previous year: UK Full Year 2010: Ford Fiesta leader for 2nd year in a row

Full Year 2011, December Top 10 Ranking Tables below.