Although the outlook for the 2018 British car market wasn’t the best – with sales down by 6.8 per cent compared to 2017 – many models boasted a great year.
There were some models that maintained their place near the top of the charts, while others made a push towards the top of the table to end the year.
Here are the top 10 cars for December 2018.
1. Ford Fiesta – 5,719 sales
As was the case for all of 2018, the Ford Fiesta was the most popular car on sale. Ending December with 5,719 units sold, that added to the 95,892 models sold throughout 2018 – more than 31,000 ahead of the next-best car.
2. Volkswagen Polo – 4,928
December was a big month for the German supermini, which helped the model overtake one of its nearest rivals – the Mini Hatch – in the year-end charts. The Polo finished sixth in the 2018 table with 45,149 sales.
3. Mini Hatch – 4,650
The retro-looking supermini consolidated in 2018 top 10 with a successful December. Ending up in seventh for 2018, the Hatch comes in three- and five-door guises, while also coming with some of the latest engine and tech from BMW.
4. Mercedes A-Class – 4,284
Finishing eighth for 2018, the premium small hatchback managed to get inside the top five for December with 4,284 sales. It ended the year with 43,527 sales, making the latest generation of the A-Class a success in the UK.
5. Vauxhall Corsa – 4,264
For the British supermini, 2018 was another good year as it proved to be the second-most popular model in its segment behind the all-conquering Fiesta. With the December sales, the Corsa claimed third in the table for 2018.
6. Volkswagen Golf – 4,224
Despite being the second-most popular model for the year with 64,829 sales, the Golf had a bit of a relative down month, ending up in sixth. Still, 4,224 sales is nothing to be sniffed at.
7. Ford Focus – 3,919
It was a latecomer to the 2018 market, but the next generation Focus has proven to be as popular as ever. The 3,919 sales for December meant that the large hatchback finished in fifth for 2018 with 50,492.
8. Vauxhall Astra – 3,677
Much like its smaller sibling, the Corsa, the Vauxhall Astra had a good December. Following close behind one of its main rivals – Ford’s Focus – the Astra didn’t end up in the top ten for the year, losing out to the likes of the Ford Kuga and Kia Sportage.
9. Ford Kuga – 2,646
The mid-sized Ford crossover maintained its spot in the top 10 thanks to another good month to end the year. The Kuga was ordered 2,646 times last month, and ended with 40,398 sales for 2018.
10. Nissan Qashqai – 2,609
As the country’s most popular crossover, it’s surprising to see it so low down in the top 10 the Qashqai is. Despite that, Nissan still sold 2,609 of them, which meant the Qashqai ended the year with 50,546 sales, just ahead of the Ford Focus.