THE Ford Fiesta has become Europe’s top-selling car - pushing the Volkswagen Golf into second place in both March 2010 and year-to-date sales.
According to latest figures from automotive data and intelligence provider JATO Dynamics, some 68,630 Fiestas were sold last month representing a 25.8 per cent rise in sales compared to March 2009, and 11,785 more than Volkswagen’s second-placed Golf.
And so far this year the Fiesta is also ahead, selling 140,496 to Golf’s 135,048, reversing the picture from the first quarter of last year, but continuing a pattern where Fiesta has closed the sales gap to Golf through 2010.
The Fiesta’s achievement is even more impressive considering Golf sales also increased during last month and the year’s first quarter.
Fiesta sales simply outpaced those of the Golf, with its move to pole position particularly due to its strong March sales in the UK, where it was up 14.7 per cent, and Italy – up 87 per cent, where more than half of all Fiestas sold were LPG-powered.
In fact the Fiesta was responsible for 34 per cent of all models sold in Britain last month with 23,681 cars purchased.
By contrast, thhe Golf’s traditionally strong home market, Germany, continued to struggle losing 106,590 sales overall compared to March 2009.
“What may appear to be a sudden change in fortunes is actually a continuing trend,” said JATO boss David Di Girolamo.
“Fiesta has been closing the gap to Golf through 2010 and there are a number of factors behind this. The buoyant sales markets so far this year are those where Fiesta is popular and are also scrappage-influenced markets, driving purchase of small cars.
“In the UK, March marked a registration change and the final month of Britain’s scrappage scheme, while in Italy, March was the last month of 2010 in which scrappage sales could be registered.
“The last time Fiesta was ahead of Golf in European sales was March 2009, so it remains to be seen whether it can hold top position this time round.”
The encouraging news for the wider industry will be the net 9.8 per cent uplift in March sales across Europe, with Germany the only major market not posting an increase for the month.
Most improved in the month’s top ten was the new model Opel/ Vauxhall Astra, which saw a 42.9 overall March sales rise, aided greatly by a 75.9 per cent uplift in the UK, where it was the third best-selling car.