Car sales up 26.6% in March

Small-car sales, scrappage deals and the new '10' registration plate helped to boost registration figures by 26% in March.

In total, 397,383 new cars were registered, according to figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

Superminis lead the way
Superminis and small family cars continued to dominate sales, with the Ford Fiesta leading the pack with 23,681 sales, followed by the Ford Focus with 17,989 and the Vauxhall Astra on 15,326.

Decline in sales expected
The SMMT says scrappage accounted for 12.2% of sales in March, but it predicts the end of the scheme, and continued economic uncertainty, will lead to a decline in registrations through the remainder of 2010.

Figures still down
March is usually the busiest month of the year for sales, followed by September, which also signals the release of a new registration plate. Since 1999, March has recorded average sales of 418,404, or 14.4% of annual registrations.

Top 10 sellers March
Position
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10Car
Ford Fiesta
Ford Focus
Vauxhall Astra
Vauxhall Corsa
Volkswagen Golf
Peugeot 207
Renault Clio
Mini
Volkswagen Polo
Renault MeganeSales in March
23,681
17,989
15,326
15,088
9976
8926
8641
7919
7580
6247
Top 10 sellers in 2010 year to date
Position
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10Car
Ford Fiesta
Ford Focus
Vauxhall Corsa
Vauxhall Astra
Volkswagen Golf
Volkswagen Polo
Peugeot 207
Renault Clio
Hyundai i10
MiniSales 2010
35,802
27,977
23,267
22,925
16,950
15,187
14,201
12,121
11,088
11,027