PoloDriver

Though it didn’t make the chart every month, the Volkswagen Polo ended 2013 as one of the UK’s best-selling cars, according to figures releases by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). Volkswagen sold 42,609 new Polos during last year, resulting in an eighth place standing.

It’s consistent if nothing else, the Polo selling around the 40,000 figure during the 1980s. By contrast, the similarly-aged Ford Fiesta sold 121,929 units, and finished as the best-selling car in the UK, after a string of number one places during the year.

The Polo was also the eighth most popular car in the UK last month, while the Fiesta again sat at the top of the tree. Another popular Volkswagen was the Golf in fifth place.

The 2013 UK new car market recorded its best performance in five years. 2013 saw 2,264,737 cars registered, up 10.8 per cent on 2012 and exceeding SMMT’s 2.25 million forecast for the year.

Other SMMT stats include the facts that 2013 boasted the highest annual registration total since 2007 as December achieves the 22nd consecutive monthly rise, and on average, an additional 600 extra cars registered per day in 2013 than in the previous year.

The UK is now firmly secured as Europe’s second largest car market and the only one to grow consistently throughout the year. The UK’s top 10 best-selling passenger cars during December 2013 and the year (sales figure and position in brackets) are as follows:

1 Ford Fiesta: 8512 (121,929, 1st)

2 Vauxhall Corsa: 6414 (84,275, 3rd)

3 Ford Focus: 5559 (87,350, 2nd)

4 Vauxhall Astra: 5235 (68,070, 4th)

5 Volkswagen Golf: 4520 (64,951, 5th)

6 Vauxhall Insignia: 3956

7 BMW 3 Series: 3429 (43,494, 7th)

8 Volkswagen Polo: 3407 (42,609, 8th)

9 BMW 1 Series: 2679 (41,883, 9th)

10 Nissan Qashqai: 2516 (50,211, 6th)


(The 2013 top 10 best-selling car absent from last month’s sales figures is the Peugeot 208 in 10th place with 38,616 units sold.)