Ireland's new car sales are continuing to surge ahead with figures for the end of March showing that overall number only just missed beating the magic 50,000 barrier. Sales are up 26 per cent on the same period last year, outstripping Q1 2013's figures by a full 10,000 units.
Once again this year it is Volkswagen that is dominating. Volkswagen is the best-selling brand overall (Toyota is in second place, Ford in third) while the Golf is the best-selling car so far this year.
SUVs are also taking an increasingly important place at the top-ten sellers' table. There are now 4x4 wannabes in the top ten: the Nissan Qashqai, the Hyundai ix35 and the Kia Sportage. Mind you, 'conventional' cars still dominate. The Ford Focus is the second best-selling car (not bad for a model due to be replaced soon) with the Qashqai in third, the Skoda Octavia fourth and the Ford Fiesta fifth.
Alan Nolan, Society of the Irish Motor Industry Director General, said that "vehicle sales for the first quarter of 2014 remain significantly ahead of last year. Already we have registered over two thirds of total car sales for last year. We are clearly starting from a low base but the most notable point has been the return of retail consumers to the marketplace and that can be seen both in showrooms and in the number of 141 cars visible outside homes, schools and shops. This has been significantly assisted by the improved availability of retail finance from the finance houses who are strongly supporting the recovery in the market."
The used car market is still surging ahead too, and Irish buyers are increasingly looking to the UK to fill the gap left by dismal new sales since 2009. A total of 15,000 second hand cars were imported in the first three months.
Anything else?
Well, while the increase in new car sales is more than welcome, it's the increases in commercial vehicle and van sales that are even more good news for the economy as a whole. Van sales are up by 38 per cent with the Ford Transit in pole position followed by the Volkswagen Caddy and Citroen Berlingo.