PoloDriver

The latest figures released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) reveal that the Volkswagen Polo was the ninth most popular car in the UK during January 2020. A total of 2,336 Polos found new homes in the first month of the year, which also means the long-standing model is also ninth in the year-to-date top ten chart.

The Ford Fiesta was the clear leader with 6,087 registrations, ahead of its larger relative, the Ford Focus, in second place with 5,287 units. The Nissan Qashqai rounded out the top three with 4,608 registrations. The Volkswagen Golf’s 4,027 units put it in fifth place. Soon to usher in a new generation, the Vauxhall Corsa took fourth place with 4,373 registrations.

As a whole, UK registrations fell 7.3 per cent in January to 149,279 units, but demand for battery electric cars enjoyed a year-on-year rise of 2,720 units. Plug-in and ‘self-charging’ hybrids also enjoyed a peak in demand. The UK’s top ten most popular new cars during January 2020 and the year-to-date (sales figure and position in brackets) were as follows:

1 Ford Fiesta: 6,087 (6,087, 1st)
2 Ford Focus: 5,287 (5,287, 2nd)
3 Nissan Qashqai: 4,608 (4,608, 3rd)
4 Vauxhall Corsa: 4,373 (4,373, 4th)
5 Volkswagen Golf: 4,027 (4,027, 5th)
6 Mercedes-Benz A-Class: 3,214 (3,214, 6th)
7 Kia Sportage: 2,457 (2,457, 7th)
8 BMW 3 Series: 2,242 (2,242, 8th)
9 Volkswagen Polo: 2,336 (2,336, 9th)
10 Vauxhall Grandland X: 2,261 (2,261, 10th)

Across Europe, a total of 20,037 Polos were registered according to Jato Dynamics, making it the fifth most popular car across the continent. The Golf was topped the popularity stakes with 26,303 registrations. Volkswagen was the most popular brand across Europe with 133,558 registrations, and the Polo-based T-Cross SUV’s 12,880 units saw it declared top market share winner.

Polo Vivo is the South African chart-topper
Seemingly never putting a tyre wrong, the Polo Vivo once again topped the new car registrations charts in South Africa, with 2,811 new cars on driveways. The latest National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (NAAMSA) figures show that the sixth-generation Polo was in second place once more with 1,761 units sold, with 7,959 exported from Volkswagen South Africa’s Uitenhage factory. The Polo-based T-Cross registered 764 units, and 503 fifth-generation Polo Sedans were registered.

According to the latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), the Volkswagen Polo was both the ninth most popular car in the UK during December 2019, and also for the year.

The latest SMMT tallies reveal that 2,715 Polos found new homes during December 2019, while for the year as a whole, a total of 37,453 units of Volkswagen’s small hatchback were registered. The Golf was the most popular car during December 2019, its 4,585 units pushing the 4,168 of the Ford Fiesta into second place.

The small Ford ruled the roost overall, though, with 77,833 registered during the 12 months of 2019, compared with 58,994 of the second-placed Golf. Which for a car which is replaced imminently, is impressive. Volkswagen registered 200,771 cars in 2018, leading to an 8.69 per cent market share.

It was bad news elsewhere, though. Overall UK new car sales were down 2.4 per cent in 2019, the third consecutive year of decline. The lowest total for six years, 2,311,140 new cars were registered last year, although December’s totals were up 3.4 per cent compared to the same period in 2018.

Other headlines include the rise of battery electric cars – up 144 per cent – while hybrids still dominated the alternative fuel market and were up 17.1 per cent. However, CO2 emissions increased for the third consecutive year, no doubt buoyed by the 2.2 per cent rise in demand for petrol models, and the 21.8 per cent slump in diesel registrations. The top ten most popular new cars in the UK during December 2019 and the overall year (registration figure and position in brackets) were as follows:

1 Volkswagen Golf: 4,585 (58,994, 2nd)

2 Ford Fiesta: 4,168 (77,833, 1st)
3 Mini: 3,985 (41,188, 8th)
4 Ford Kuga: 3,610 (41,671, 7th)
5 BMW 3 Series: 3,527
6 Ford Focus: 3,261 (56,619, 3rd)
7 Mercedes-Benz A-Class: 3,050 (53,724, 5th)
8 Other: 2,824
9 Volkswagen Polo: 2,715 (37,453, 9th)
10 Vauxhall Grandland X: 2,566

(The 2019 top ten most popular cars absent from December 2019’s registration figures were the fourth-placed Vauxhall Corsa, the sixth-placed Nissan Qashqai and the tenth-placed Kia Sportage, with 54,239, 52,532 and 34,502 units recorded respectively.)

The Polo has also been named as the ninth most popular searched for car on the Auto Trader website, based on advertisement views. The Polo was searched for 463,548 times according to the Auto Trader UK’s Most Popular Cars 2019 report, which combined a survey of 2,000 UK drivers with search data from advertisement views on the website and companion app to reveal the most popular makes, models and features on the new car market. The Volkswagen Golf topped the list, with a total of 1,307,303 advertisement views, the second consecutive year the VW family hatch has done so.

Record year for Volkswagen South Africa
Once more the Polo Vivo was December 2019’s top-performing model in South Africa, where it topped the passenger car sales charts with 1,779 units. The newest NAAMSA (National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa) figures state that the sixth-generation Polo repeated its second place position from November with 1,410 units sold.

The often-forgotten Polo Sedan (still based on the older fifth-generation model) shifted 532 examples, while 685 T-Cross models found new homes. Volkswagen South Africa celebrated a record 2019 overall, its 161,954 production total a new single-year record for the Uitenhage factory.

The highest volume the plant has achieved since it started manufacturing Volkswagens in 1951, 131,365 Polos left the line, along with 30,589 Polo Vivos for the local market. The Polo Vivo was the best-selling passenger car in the country, too, with 29,619 cars finding new owners. It topped the A0 small car segment with a market share of 24.5 per cent, while the Volkswagen brand as a whole was the country’s leading manufacturer with a 23.4 per cent market share.

The Volkswagen Polo made a welcome return to the UK’s most popular car chart in October. According to the latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), the Polo ranked ninth in the UK’s top ten registrations rundown.

A total of 2,191 Polos found new homes, just below the 2,547 Tiguans in eighth place. In ninth place overall, 32,257 Polos have been registered in 2019 to date. October’s ranking marks the first time the Polo has returned to the UK’s most popular cars rundown since July.

Even though the seventh-generation Golf is now officially a run-out model due to the unveiling of the new eighth-generation car, the older variants popularity shows no sign of waning. With 3,976 units registered, the Golf makes number three in October’s most popular cars chart, with the Nissan Qashqai and Ford Fiesta above it, in second and first places respectively.

Elsewhere, UK registrations fell 6.7 per cent in October compared to the same month in 2018, but alternatively-fuelled vehicles reached a record 9.9 per cent market share with 14,231 counted. The UK’s top ten most popular new cars during October 2019 and the year-to-date (sales figure and position in brackets) were as follows:

1 Ford Fiesta: 5,138 (69,702, 1st)
2 Nissan Qashqai: 4,084 (46,569, 6th)

3 Volkswagen Golf: 3,976 (50,468, 3rd)

4 Mercedes-Benz A-Class: 3,630 (46,923, 5th)
5 Ford Focus: 3,585 (49,517, 2nd)
6 Ford Kuga: 3,041 (33,848, 8th)
7 Kia Sportage: 2,588 (30,815, 10th)
8 Volkswagen Tiguan: 2,547

9 Volkswagen Polo: 2,191 (32,257, 9th)
10 Range Rover Evoque: 2,134


(The 2019 year-to-date top ten most popular cars absent from October 2019’s registration figures were the fourth-placed Vauxhall Corsa and the seventh-placed Mini, with 49,341 and 34,387 units recorded respectively.)

Polo family reigns in South Africa
The Polo Vivo continued its best-selling run in South Africa, topping the passenger car sales charts with 2,937 cars found new owners. The latest National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (NAAMSA) figures state that the sixth-generation Polo was in second place again with 2,098 units sold.

The Polo-based T-Cross registered a tally of 1,132 cars, while 522 of the often-forgotten Polo Sedan rolled out of showrooms. It’s not just new car buyers the Polo is popular with, either. On the South African used car market, the fifth-generation Polo was the most sought-after model according to Auto Trader, with the Polo Vivo two places down the rankings.

Volkswagen South Africa’s Uitenhage factory produced a total of 16,453 vehicles in October, marking a new monthly record for the plant. A total of 140,782 vehicles have been manufactured at the factory during the year-to-date: 92,029 were for export and 60,107 were for the local market.

According to the latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), the Volkswagen Polo continued its run as one of the most popular cars in the UK during July 2019. A total of 2,568 Polos found new homes last month, putting the small Volkswagen in ninth place in the top ten passenger cars chart. With a figure of 26,173, the Polo also held firm as the seventh most popular car in the 2019 year-to-date figures.

Electric car volumes triple
Higher up July’s chart, the Volkswagen Golf was in second place behind the ever-popular Ford Fiesta (4,288 vs 5,646 units respectively), while the Tiguan SUV nudged into the list, too, one place above the Polo, in eighth position. Overall, the market declined again by 4.1 per cent to 157,198 registrations, and was the lowest July market since 2012. But, battery electric vehicle (BEV) registrations almost tripled and took a record monthly market share. A new BEV forecast also suggests that in 2020, their full year share could double.

The Polo’s supermini sector dipped 12.1 per cent, bucking the trend of recent months, where it was the most popular. However, the Polo has also been announced as the UK’s fastest-selling used car by AA Cars, and is the car which spends the shortest amount of time being advertised before being sold.

As drivers seek to maximize the utility of their Polos, outfitting them with accessories like the Overland Roof rack emerges as a natural choice. Renowned for its durability and versatility, the Overland Roof rack is a sought-after addition for drivers looking to expand their cargo capacity without compromising on style or performance. As the automotive landscape evolves, accessories like the roof rack complement the enduring appeal of vehicles like the Polo, further solidifying their position as favorites among drivers seeking both robustness and flexibility.

The UK’s top ten most popular new cars during July 2019 and the year-to-date (sales figure and position in brackets) were as follows:

1 Ford Fiesta: 5,646 (48,943, 1st)
2 Volkswagen Golf: 4,288 (35,781, 3rd)
3 Nissan Qashqai: 4,047 (33,227, 4th)
4 Ford Focus: 3,863 (36,102, 2nd)
5 Mercedes-Benz A-Class: 3,702 (31,606, 6th)
6 Vauxhall Corsa: 3,079 (33,061, 5th)
7 Ford Kuga: 2,921 (23,346, 8th)
8 Volkswagen Tiguan: 2,624
9 Volkswagen Polo: 2,568 (26,173, 7th)
10 Kia Sportage: 2,292 (21,194, 10th)

(The 2019 year-to-date top ten most popular car absent from July 2019’s registration figures was the ninth-placed Mini, with 23,001 units recorded.)

Polo Vivo still popular
Once again, the Polo Vivo was South Africa’s most popular passenger car in July 2019, with 2,621 examples registered according to the latest National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (NAAMSA) figures. The sixth-generation Polo was runner-up again, too: its 2,076 units put it in second place.

Continuing its now long-standing trend, the Volkswagen Polo was one of the UK’s top ten most popular cars during June 2019. According to the latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), 4,592 Polos found new homes in June, putting it in eighth place, one place higher than in May. That takes the 2019 year-to-date tally up to 23,605, which holds the Polo in a steady seventh place. The Volkswagen Golf was the fourth most popular car in June, and sits third in the year-to-date figures.

Superminis the most popular
While UK new car registrations fell for the fourth consecutive month in June, with year-on-year demand slipping 4.9 per cent to 223,421 units, superminis like the Polo were the most popular car, and made up 31 per cent of all registrations in the first half of the year. The Ford Fiesta is still the most popular car in the UK with 43,297 units leaving forecourts so far in 2019, with 7,507 of those in June.

The UK’s top ten most popular cars during June 2019 and the year-to-date (sales figure and position in brackets) were as follows:

1 Ford Fiesta: 7,507 (43,297, 1st)

2 Vauxhall Corsa: 5,164 (29,982, 4th)

3 Mini: 5,535 (21,037, 8th)
4 Volkswagen Golf: 5,473 (31,493, 3rd)

5 Ford Focus: 5,450 (32,239, 2nd)

6 Nissan Qashqai: 5,333 (29,180, 5th)
7 Toyota Yaris: 4,954 (19,147, 10th)
8 Volkswagen Polo: 4,592 (23,605, 7th)
9 BMW 1 Series: 4,465
10 Mercedes-Benz A-Class: 3,953 (27,904, 6th)

(The 2019 year-to-date top ten most popular car absent from June 2019’s registration figures was the ninth-placed Ford Kuga, with 20,425 units recorded.)

Polo Vivo still a success
The Polo Vivo continues its amazing success story in South Africa, and was the country’s most popular passenger car in June 2019. The latest National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (NAAMSA) figures show that 2,571 Polo Vivos found new owners last month, while the the sixth-generation Polo once again propped up the Vivo with 1,887 units in second place.