Riding high – Polo ends 2012 as the eighth best-selling car in the UK
The Polo ended 2012 on a high in the UK, taking the eighth spot in the country’s best-selling cars chart. With a tally of 41,901 examples sold over the year, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) report that the small Volkswagen sat at number 10 in the figures for December 2012. Private registrations saw the 2012 UK market boosted by 100,000 sales, with volumes up a total of 3.7 per cent. It was the highest annual set of figures recorded since 2008, at 2,044,609 units. Superminis were up 5.6 per cent, with the Ford Fiesta taking the 2012 bestseller crown, with 109,265 units.
‘More than two million new cars were registered in the UK during 2012, up 5.3 per cent on the previous 12 months and the best result since recession struck in 2008,’ said Paul Everitt, SMMT Chief Executive. ‘Boosted by strong consumer demand, the market grew at its fastest rate for 11 years with innovative, fuel-efficient cars keeping buyers in showrooms.’ The UK’s top 10 best-selling passenger cars during December 2012 and for 2012 as a whole (unit sales figure and position in brackets) are as follows:
1 Ford Focus: 5265 (83,115, 3rd)
2 Vauxhall Astra: 5112 (63,023, 4th)
3 Ford Fiesta: 4977 (109,265, 1st)
4 Vauxhall Corsa: 4510 (89,434, 2nd)
5 BMW 1 Series: 3196 (34,488, 10th)
6 BMW 3 Series: 3181 (44,521, 7th)
7 Mini: 3143
8 Nissan Qashqai: 2840 (45,675, 6th)
9 Volkswagen Golf: 2556 (62,021, 5th)
10 Volkswagen Polo: 2500 (41,901, 8th)
(The 2012 top 10 best-selling car absent from last month’s sales figures is the Mercedes-Benz C-Class in ninth place with 37,261 units sold.)
