First four months’ car sales in 2014 catch up to 2009 total

So far this year, just under 58,000 new cars have been sold, in comparison to 45,000 at the same time in 2013. The figure means that in the first four months of 2014, almost as many new cars have been sold as the entire year’s sales in 2009.

Car sales in April were up by 28 per cent compared to April 2013, while the overall sales for the year are up by 27 per cent on the same period last year, according to figures from the Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI). The top three selling brands for the year so far are Volkswagen, Toyota and Ford, with the top three selling models being the VW Golf, the Nissan Qashqai and the Ford Focus.

Commenting on the results, Alan Nolan, director general of SIMI, said: "The industry had been closely watching the trend this month as Easter can have a key impact, with two short weeks, hire-drive business and the potential for car sales to begin to slow down at this time of year. The results for April actually confirm that the level of demand has continued at the same rate as earlier months, reflecting increased consumer activity, which augers well in relation to progress toward economic recovery."

Continuing a strong trend from earlier this year, commercial vehicle sales are also surging ahead. Van and truck sales are up by 44 per cent, which SIMI suggests is a strong underlying trend for the overall economy.