It’s April and that means we’re into the second quarter of the financial year and the all-important first quarter results are out.
As ever it’s the usual customers at the top of the tree in the UK with superminis and hatchbacks dominating again in the sales charts.
Last year’s most popular model – the Ford Fiesta – has maintained its stranglehold at the summit and it is once again the comfortable leader with almost 28,000 sales so far.
Vauxhall and Ford also remain the most popular manufacturers in the UK with two models each in the top five. Only Volkswagen breaks the monopoly with the Golf hatchback achieving a fifth place finish.
Find out why they’re so popular amongst British drivers.
#5 – Volkswagen Golf
The Volkswagen Golf is a consistent performer in terms of sales in the UK, despite being markedly more expensive than its major rivals, the Ford Focus and the Vauxhall Astra.
The popular Golf is synonymous with refinement and it has managed to maintain that reputation despite being one of the most common sights on British roads.
As part of the Volkswagen Group it is equipped with some of the best engines on the road with its range of diesel, TDI engines being unmatched in terms of performance, drive and efficiency.
It is a good looking hatchback which has got sleeker since its first generations which were boxy and aggressive in style. Now it is one of the most stylish hatchbacks around.
Volkswagen is also one of the leading manufacturers in terms of economy and efficiency with its BlueMotion technology the major driving force behind that accolade.
A 1.6-litre TDI BlueMotion Golf has a combined fuel economy in excess of 70mpg with CO2 emissions below the fabled 100g/km mark. That means it’s free to drive around the London Congestion Zone and has zero road tax.
The latest generation Volkswagen Golf is priced from around £13,000.
Follow the jump for brilliant Volkswagen Golf quotes.
#4 – Vauxhall Astra
The Astra is Vauxhall’s hatchback and the GM-owned brand’s best selling model behind the Corsa supermini.
Like the Golf, the Astra is unlucky to be up against the most successful hatchback ever in the Ford Focus. That means despite being a brilliant model, it is forever playing catch up with the Ford flagship.
Its development has followed that of the Golf and the Focus in the sense that with each new generation – the Astra is currently in its sixth generation – it has become sleeker and more refined.
It is no longer angular but more rounded and wedge-like having been brought in line with Vauxhall’s new design language – first seen on the Insignia saloon.
As well as a more sophisticated exterior, the Astra has become more economical too with a new range of ecoFLEX engines which have lowered the model’s CO2 emissions and improved fuel economy considerably.
It remains behind the Golf and Focus in terms of efficiency but the Griffin brand has confirmed a new model with Start-Stop technology which will be released early next year.
Pricing for the Vauxhall Astra hatchback starts from around £13,000.
For brilliant Vauxhall Astra quotes follow the jump.
#3 – Vauxhall Corsa
The Vauxhall Corsa supermini has improved vastly since the latest generation was released in the UK around five years ago.
In February the UK-favourite was given another facelift which has seen its exterior sharpened and where previous efforts may have looked like cost-saving car’s, the current range looks more expensive than it should based on price.
Previous generations opted for curves and bulges however the new generation – in-keeping with Vauxhall’s stylish new design language – favours a wedge-like profile and straight lines, as well as the now signature front-end which couples a chrome bar with an oversized logo.
Its bumper has also been tweaked into a more prominent feature and it sits in between eagle-eye headlights.
Like the Astra, the Corsa has also improved in terms of CO2 emissions and fuel economy on which front it betters the Ford Fiesta.
With Vauxhall’s new ecoFLEX engines the Corsa can have CO2 emissions as low as 94g/km with a fuel economy as high as 78.5mpg on a combined cycle.
Vauxhall Corsa pricing starts from as low as £9,995.
Follow the link to get your hands on competitive Vauxhall Corsa quotes.
#2 – Ford Focus
When it first arrived in the UK in 1998, the Ford Focus was touted as a game changer.
For the first time a hatchback combined brilliant drive and handling with size and practicality and the latest generation, released just last month, has continued that trend of development.
The 2011 Ford Focus is definitely the best looking of all its efforts thanks to a range of sweeping lines in keeping with Ford’s Kinetic design language that is supposed to evoke motion even when a car is stationary.
The latest model is smaller than previous generations as a result of the new raked design however the quality of the interior has improved dramatically over its predecessors – almost negating the decrease in luggage and interior space.
Across the entire range CO2 emissions are below 140g/km and go as low as 109g/km on the least powerful 95bhp 1.6-litre TDCi however, like Vauxhall, Ford plans to release an 80mpg model – the Ford Focus ECOnetic – which would also boast CO2 emissions of just 95g/km.
Fortunately the engine improvements have not detracted from the focus’s now infamous ride and handling with the American manufacturer managing to replicate the high standards set on previous models.
Pricing for the 2011 Ford Focus starts from £15,995 for the five-door hatchback.
For 2011 Ford Focus deals, click the link.
#1 – Ford Fiesta
Since its launch in 1976, the Ford Fiesta has sold more than twelve million units, making it one of the most successful models ever.
It has also dominated the UK car market in its 35 years on the market and the sixth and latest generation is continuing its dominance having been the most popular model in terms of sales for the past two years.
The latest version boasts a rising waistline and a more sculpted exterior than ever before and it looks more accomplished as a result.
It is also the most technologically advanced in its history with ESP as standard across the range as well as a raft of equipment and features that have enabled the diminutive supermini to achieve a five-star safety rating from Euro NCAP.
The Fiesta has not been ignored in terms of emissions and economy either, with Ford adding an ECOnetic engine to its line-up with CO2 emissions below the 100g/km threshold.
Pricing for the UK’s most popular model starts from £9,995.
For brilliant Ford Fiesta quotes, follow the link.