Every month the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders releases figures showing the state of the British car market – and last month saw another decrease in overall sales of 2.9 per cent compared to October 2017.
That equates to 153,599 sales in October this year – down from 158,192 12 months previously.
But which individual cars were the top performers last month? Here is the top ten…
1. Ford Fiesta – 5,564
As usual, the ever-popular supermini leads the way yet again with an 1,800-unit margin over the next-best model. The 2017 version of the Fiesta has proved to be just as popular as its predecessors and continues to have a very wide margin over the rest of the market. In the year-to-date charts, it leads by more than 29,000 units.
2. Volkswagen Golf – 3,765
The Golf continues to impress in its current form, and with 2019 likely to see an all-new version of the hatchback, expect it to forge ahead of premium hatchback rivals even more. The German hatch has now been sold 55,927 times this year, putting it in a very clear second.
3. Mercedes A-Class – 3,339
After its reveal earlier this year, the Mercedes A-Class has been very popular for those looking at a premium compact package. Now creeping into ninth on the 2018 list, October’s total increase the A-Class’s sales to 35,139 so far in 2018.
4. Volkswagen Tiguan – 3,297
This month’s most popular SUV is the Volkswagen Tiguan and the mid-sized option has plenty going for it. Even though it doesn’t feature on the year-to-date top 10, the Tiguan has featured twice in monthly top 10s this year.
5. Ford Focus – 3,283
The popular hatchback has performed well yet again and it continues to catch fellow family-favourite, the Nissan Qashqai. Overall sales for this year are 43,505, placing it in fifth – 6,400 sales ahead of the Volkswagen Polo in sixth.
6. Mini Hatch – 3,208
Hatchbacks continue to perform well in the British market and the Mini Hatch is yet again a British driver favourite. Also ranking seventh in the year-to-date chart with 37,084 sales, the retro-looking Hatch is still a sought-after option in the segment.
7. Ford Kuga – 2,847
Ford’s third model in the October top 10 is ahead of one of its biggest rivals – the Nissan Qashqai – although it does lag behind for the first 10 months of the year when compared to its South Korean rival. The Kuga ranks eighth in 2018 with 35,327 sales so far.
8. Nissan Qashqai – 2,799
The Qashqai may have fallen behind some of its closest rivals for October, but it continues to lead the way for crossover sales in 2018. Ranking fourth on the year-to-date list with 44,742 sales, the Qashqai is 9,000 units ahead of its closest rival, the Ford Kuga.
9. BMW 3 Series – 2,773
With the next generation on the way in early 2019, BMW will be promoting the later versions of the current 3 Series right up until that point – meaning customers could get some good deals. It’s also the best ranking executive saloon from last month.
10. Volkswagen Polo – 2,753
The premium supermini was the second-best premium supermini on the October list, but it continues to perform well throughout 2018. After being released at the start of the year, the seventh generation Polo ranks sixth in the year-to-date list with 37,106 units sold.
