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MORE PEOPLE IN Ireland bought cars this year, with a 17 per cent increase in registrations over last year to the end of November.
In those eleven months, a total of 146,173 new passenger cars were registered.
Competition between the top three brands – Hyundai, Volkswagen and Toyota – is close, with less than 200 units separating first and third place. There are some expected popular models at the top of the table, though a dig through the data throws up some interesting results. Here’s the top five and a couple of odd results from further down the charts.
Of the ever-increasing number of SUVs on the market today, it is the Tucson that tops the registration charts. As the replacement for the very popular Hyundai ix35, the Tucson had to be good. A big plus has been the more appealing exterior styling while inside the cabin looks and feels much improved.
The seemingly evergreen Golf has once more proved to be a popular choice amongst Irish motorists, with more than 5,000 units registered so far this year. There’s no shortage of choice in the range either. With three and five-door hatchbacks, as well as estate body styles not to mention the numerous other hybrid and performance derivatives, there’s almost something there for every taste.
Even though the Ford Focus range might not have as many variants as the Volkswagen Golf, it has seen almost the same number of units registered with 4,834 to date this year. This sensible four-door saloon, five-door hatchback or estate drives well and comes with a good range of engines to choose from including a 125hp 1.0-litre petrol.
(We’d happily take the 350hp Ford RS model, though.)
When it comes to space inside the Skoda Octavia almost seems to defy physics. With excellent rear passenger legroom and an enormous boot, it’s easy to see why there has been such demand for the Octavia in Ireland.
Widely considered to be the car that kick-started the crossover craze, the second-generation Qashqai continues to perform well in the new car registration charts. But with increasing amounts of competition, it remains to be seen if it can continue to prove to be as successful in 2017.
A look further down the new car registration charts reveals that for some people the boom is indeed back, with Audi A8s, Ford Mustangs and Porsche Cayennes all seeing healthy registration figures in high double digits while BMW saw more than 120 new 7 Series models registered.
Even though its official store has yet to open, seven new Tesla Model S cars were also registered.
But with all league tables, there must also be some losers that prop up the bottom of the charts. 2016 hasn’t proven to be a big year for Citroen’s breakaway DS brand, which per the official figures from SIMI (Society of the Irish Motor Industry) saw just 13 new models were registered in 2016. (Read our review of the DS 3 here).
Alfa Romeo continued its poor form by registering just 41 units, two less than the previous year (although it does have some new models arriving next year), while Jeep has seen just 99 cars get 161 or 162 plates.
The data also shows up some obscure models being registered. This includes one new Ford Probe (remember those?) and three Renault Twizy electric cars. Other rare spots to look out for include three Volvo XC70s, two MINI Pacemans (or should than be Pacemen?) and a pair of Audi R8s.
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There is no misinformation; banks are just not lending!
won’t be long and everyone commenting will be running to the banks
Sme’s think the bank is not lending is a fact and not something they just made up.
The banks have lost all trust and credibility with the vast majority of the public and I for one don’t believe anything they say.
Look, just becuase everyone saw the sky today does NOT mean it was there, ok!? #BOI
how can a bank our group of banks reject the findings of its regulatory body? something is very broken when rule breakers can turn around and refute regulators reports and say we don’t accept the findings in safe knowledge that no one will challenge them
Who do you think runs Ireland, Europe and the World?
I’m Md of a specialist engineering company we have a clean record with our bank Boi,nAnd guess what?nThey are NOT lending!nHow can an Irish Sme grow and create jobs without business loans?nAnd our spineless government haven’t the balls to tackle them??
True for you BTW Whatever happened to the FG proposal to have a reconstruction bank? Is it on the back burner because they want businesses to bail out our zombie banks? Many don’t even bother to try to get loans due to the negative experience of others.
Can anyone name a FG election promise that was kept?? I can’t !
Know what? BOI dont fully qualify as a bank any more. Definition of a bank- 1. an institution for receiving, lending, exchanging, and safeguarding money and, in some cases, issuing notes and transacting other financial business.
The banks are offering to lend, no doubt about that but its the T&C that SME’s can not comply with.
They can then report to the Government that they have made an offer and the company did not avail of it.
Spin, I believe that’s what it is called.
Well if bank of Ireland says it’s not true and that they are bending over backwards to help sme s then it must be true and I have to believe them….tsk tsk ..silly people casting doubt on such a venerable institution
Exactly Marc, if BOI says it’s lending than it is lending and we are all very silly for believing to the contrary …………..despite all the evidence. Did you see the new BOI ad on TV, they really do care about us, they really do!!!!!!!
In jan 2012 applied to increase overdraft from €5000 to €7500,yes that €2.500 increase.aug 2012 no answer just told they haven’t come back .
God love self employed Ireland.
80% of applications approved? Yes, if you count renewals of existing facilities where they have little choice. What’s the % for approvals of NEW money going out the bank’s door?
The minister for finance said in the dail we can’t believe what the banks say so what has changed NOTHING !!!
They have consistently lied to the past government this government the central bank the regulator and now the people of Ireland.
Why do we still doff our caps ?
Eh? Isn’t that a bit like the bloke beating you over the head with a baseball bat being concerned that you believe he’s the violent sort??
They are more concerned, at being found out! Who told the dogs on the street, find them and put them down!
If bank of Ireland are sooooo concerned why don’t they start lending
Bank of Ireland really really loves us all….it’s just misunderstood
OK here we go…
What if, and its a big if, the banks are only reflecting how really shagged the economy is. Then its better not to be throwing good money after bad. We would end up bailing the shaggers out again if they were making huge losses.
Also the government would be delighted that everyone was focusing on the bad bad bankers rather than how fu**ed the economy really is….yes/no?
If a business is loosing money and succeeds in borrowing to cover this loss what happens next year etc.
Can’t we just sack the lot, save the money and get decent banks and bankers in?!!
That last bit was a joke, if course!
Decent bankers… :-))
have your say