The SMMT has released year-to-date UK car registration figures for 2013 and compared them with the same period last year.
NB: Where we mention sales take this with a pinch of salt as registrations and sales may differ slightly. The figures released are all based on registrations
The top ten risers are
- Dacia - sold 0 cars in 2012, as the brand hadn't been launched, and 8,297 in 2013 to date. Not bad for a new brand.
- Mitsubishi - sold 5,431 cars to date in 2013, a 40.4% improvement over last year. Outlander must be contributing to that increase
- Suzuki - 18.859 sales in 2013, a 33.1% improvement over last year
- Lotus - OK they've only sold 122 cars to date in 2013 but that's a 23.2% improvement over 2012
- Jaguar - sold 9,813 cars in 2013, a 22.7% improvement. Arguably the F-type won't have made an impact yet
- Abarth - sold 807 souped up Fiats in 2013, a 19.4% improvement
- SEAT - sold 25,681 cars in 2013, a 19% improvement
- Fiat - sold 34,033 cars in 2013, a 16.7% improvement
- Skoda - sold 37,306 cars, a 15.5% improvement
- Mercedes-Benz - sold 62,310 cars, a 14.5% improvement
The brands who lost sales compared to this time last year are:
- MG - sold only 156 cars in 2013, a 71.8% reduction in sales. The MG3 is desperately needed
- Perodua - sold 165 cars, a 39.3% reduction over last year
- Ssangyong - sold 322 cars, a 36.1% retraction
- Alfa Romeo - sold 3,163 cars, a 32% reduction. Alfa desperately need new models
- Chrysler - sold 1.551 cars, a 32% reduction
- Chevrolet - sold 7.456 cars, a 22.7% reduction
- Infiniti - sold 266 cars, a 19.2% reduction
- Jeep - sold 1,091 cars/SUvs, a 16.6% reduction
- Subaru - sold 1,187 cars, a 13% reduction. Subaru finally have more BR-Zs which will help
- Lexus - sold 4,806 cars, a 9.9% reduction
Other notable stats from the SMMT figures are:
- Fuel mix - petrol cars continue to outgrow diesel. There were 654,959 petrol cars sold and 653,033 diesel cars sold in 2013 to date. Last year the balance was 51.1% diesel to 47.5% petrol. This year petrol cars account for 49.4% of sales whereas diesel account for 49.3%
- Electric - Plug-in cars account for 1,885 sales, a 70.7% increase in sales
- Alternative - Alternative fuelled cars sales were 17,859
- Fiesta is the best selling car - with 72,129 dales to date in 2013
