UK September 2014: Fiat 500 hits highest ever 6th place in best September in a decade

Fiat 500

* See the Top 10 best-selling models and Top 42 brands by clicking on the title! *

Nothing can top the UK new car market right now: at 425,861 units during the plate-change month of September, with March traditionally the two biggest months of the year by far, sales are up 5.6% year-on-year to reach the highest September level in 10 years and continuing an uninterrupted record run of 31 straight months of year-on-year gains. On the negative side (is there one?), you can argue the September increase is lower than March (+18%) but on the plus side the market is still pulled by private demand, up 5.9% to 221.146 units and 52% of the market. Year-to-date, UK new car sales are up an extremely impressive 9% to 1.958.196 registrations. In this euphoric context, the Top 5 brands display very varied evolutions: Ford follows the market at +6% and 12.8% share, Vauxhall is stable and therefore loses ground at 9.7%, Volkswagen is up a splendid 14%, Audi (-1%) and BMW (-9%) struggle while Mercedes (+10%) and Nissan (+12%) shine. Notice also Renault up 44%, Land Rover up 15%, Volvo up 38%, Mitsubishi up 95% and Dacia up 28%.

Unassailable in the UK: the Ford Fiesta

In the models ranking, the Ford Fiesta is now completely unassailable in pole position with 23,266 sales and 5.5% share (+13%), almost 10,000 units above the #2 its big sis the Ford Focus (-6%) with the VW Golf brilliantly rounding the podium at 13,011 units and 3.1% (+6%). The Polo makes it two Volkswagens in the Top 5 at #5 with sales up a huge 57% on September 2013 to 10,312 units and 2.3% share. Below, thanks to a 23% year-on-year gain and despite its 7 years of age, the Fiat 500 smashes its ranking record in the country to lift it to #6 (previous best: #8). Little by little, the Fiat 500 has well and truly replaced the ‘local’ Mini as the retro-chic Top 10 seller in the UK. A huge achievement for the Italian manufacturer that couldn’t achieve these sales levels even with the mass-produced Uno in the eighties and Punto in the nineties and noughties. Finally, notice the Peugeot 208 making a comeback inside the Top 10 at #9.

Previous month: UK August 2014: 30th consecutive month of year-on-year gains

One year ago: UK September 2013: BMW 1 Series hits record in euphoric market

Full September 2014 Top 10 models and Top 42 brands Ranking Tables below.