TMW - It's that time of the months again - DECEMBER 2014 & End of year sales figures.

JAGUAR

DECEMBER 2013 993 sales - DECEMBER 2014 1356 sales +36.56%

YTD 2013 16210 sales - YTD 2014 18401 sales +13.52%

LAND ROVER

DECEMBER 2013 3012 sales - DECEMBER 2014 3652 sales +21.25%

YTD 2013 54699 sales - YTD 2014 56200 sales +2.74%

JAGUAR LAND ROVERS COMPETITORS

BMW

DECEMBER 2013 11470 sales - DECEMBER 2014 12445 sales +8.50%
YTD 2013 135583 sales - YTD 2014 148878 sales +9.81%

MERCEDES

DECEMBER 2013 6619 sales - DECEMBER 2014 7774 sales +17.45%

YTD 2013 109456sales - YTD 2014 124419 sales +13.67%

LEXUS

DECEMBER 2013 629 sales - DECEMBER 2131 709 sales +12.72%

YTD 2013 9014 sales - YTD 2014 11572 sales +28.38%

AUDI

DECEMBER 2013 7442 sales - DECEMBER 2014 8013 sales +7.67% 

YTD 2013 142040 sales - YTD 2014 158987 sales +11.93%

RISERS ON PREVIOUS YEAR (YOY CUMULATIVE)

ABARTH +21.45%

BENTLEY +19.58%

CITROEN +6.43%

DACIA +39.17%

FIAT +11.57%

FORD +5.08%

HYUNDAI +6.59%
INFINITI +93.26%

JEEP +75.37%

KIA +7.54%

MASERATI +274.29%
MAZDA +20.99%

MG +361.51%

MIA +0.00%
MINI +3.33%
MITSUBISHI +74.76%

NISSAN +17.27%

PORSCHE +10.90%

RENAULT +43.66%

SEAT +18.10%
SKODA +14.24% 

SSANGYONG +132.93%

SUBARU +22.99%
SUZUKI +13.02%
TOYOTA +6.05%

VAUXHALL +3.75%

VOLKSWAGEN +10.69%

VOLVO +25.71%

LOSERS THIS YEAR (YOY CUMULATIVE)

ALFA ROMEO -2.88%
ASTON MARTIN -6.70%

CHEVROLET -76.24%

CHRYSLER -21.19%

HONDA -3.80%

LOTUS -8.20%
PERODUA -85.92%

PEUGEOT -1.77%

PROTON -45.00%

SMART -18.29%

Well, its another year gone, where on earth do they go to so quickly, we hope that you had a good Christmas and New Year, and that the resolutions you made a fortnight ago, are still in place, yeah right, but to business, another huge year for the UK motor industry, the majority of the brands that sell in the UK all showed positive year end results, Honda and Peugeot are the two surprises, in that both had lower sales in 2014 compared to a year earlier, and in the case of Peugeot, a real surprise, as they have a vastly improved and young, fresh range of cars.

Jaguar and Land Rover, our brands of choice, for now, have both seen their fortunes ebb and flow this year, but it is the end results that people will remember, and yet again, Jaguar flies the flag with more sales that at the same point last year, and Land Rover a smaller number, but a positive result nevertheless, and their nearest competition, well, they all posts increases too, so what next for JLR.

Well, this year is the year of the cat, we have the all new XE, an all new XF, a mild freshen up of the XJ, manual and four wheel drive options on the F-Type, and then we have the weirdly names F-Pace, which will have its dynamic launch this year, and expect another surprise too, I wont say too much, but it is something that we will all like, rather a lot.

Renault has grown very nicely this year, but are still adrift of its record year, but when they striped out the range to concentrate on profitable sales only the number of new cars sales dropped significantly, but it worked, Renault now have a core range of products that are selling very well, and along with Citroen, things are looking up for the French pair, it is a shame that Peugeot could not join them.

MG continue to bleat on about how they are the biggest increase in the SMMT figures, yeah right, if you go on percentages, which they are, but Decembers figures have shown that the MG3 sales have stagnated, along with hardly any MG6 sales, the arrival of the new GTS (SUV) and GT (MG5) can not come quick enough, but don't hold your breath, Longbridge's bosses seen to work on a yearly basis rather than a daily one, but a mild face lift of the MG6 and some new engines and at last AUTO options should help shift some more metal.

The Fiesta is, once again the best seller, followed by its bigger brother the Focus, the Corsa surprised everyone by taking the December #1 sales position, and with Vauxhall now pushing along nicely with the Astra and Mokka both in Decembers top ten, for the second month, it looks like they are on a roll, and with the new Corsa, Astra and Viva all due, along with the Mokka doing really well, vauxhall should be onto a winning year, and by some margin too !

Ford, as expected every year, takes the title as biggest manufacturer, the Fiesta sold 46,000 cars MORE than second place Focus, so, the Fiesta is still the car of choice for the majority, and with 327,000 sales this year they are way ahead of Vauxhall on 269,000 and VW third on 215,000, all the way down to Saab that sold THREE new cars this year, not sure how, but they are there, Eleven Proton's, ten of which were sold in December and Perodua on 29, so, that about it, 2015 will be an awesome year for new cars, some better than others.

UK SALES - TOYOTA - More growth with significant gains across the entire range.

• Hybrid models account for almost a quarter of all Toyotas sold in the UK in 2014
• Third consecutive year of growth for Toyota  group sales, reaching highest total since 2009
• British-built Auris a star performer, posting 17.8 per cent rise in sales
• New model increases Aygo performance by 26.8 per cent year on year, Yaris Hybrid up by 47.1 per cent
• Light commercials and Lexus also post significant gains

The successful progress of hybrid power to become a mainstream choice for Britain’s car buyers has helped Toyota post its third successive year of sales growth in the UK. At year-end, hybrids accounted for almost a quarter (23 per cent) of all Toyota cars sold.

Toyota has put hybrid at the heart of the market, introducing the technology in core models such as Auris and Yaris. In 2014 the British-built Auris range, including hybrid, marked a 17.8 per increase, while Yaris Hybrid – a unique proposition in the supermini segment – achieved a 47.1 rise in sales volume.

The introduction of new Aygo early in the year generated a huge response in UK showrooms, its wealth of personalisation possibilities helping it to a 26.8 per cent sales hike.

Toyota’s strategic addition of a new, low emissions, 2.0-litre D-4D diesel front-wheel drive version of RAV4 also proved a big success, helping drive fleet sales of the compact SUV up by 49 per cent.

Toyota group sales, including light commercials and Lexus, reached their highest level for five years, at 115,197 units. Hilux continues to go from strength to strength, helping Toyota achieve an increase of almost 20 per cent in its LCV sales.

Lexus sales rose to a seven year high, helped by a near-doubling of IS sales and an excellent early response to the launch of the new NX 300h crossover. 

Matt Harrison, Toyota President and Managing Director said: “The past year has been a good one for Toyota and the retail motor industry in the UK as a whole. The results we have achieved demonstrate that Toyota’s pioneering investment in hybrid technology is paying big dividends and continues to reshape public preferences and expectations about vehicle performance, efficiency and refinement.”

Toyota group sales 2014

Toyota cars (% increase on 2013)	94,013 (+6.1%)
Toyota LCVs	9,612 (+19.2%)
Lexus cars	11,572 (+28.4%)
Toyota group total	115,197 (+9.0%)

UK SALES - LEXUS - Highest sales since 2007 shows the luxury brand is gaining momentum in the UK.

• Lexus UK new car sales rise by more than 28 per cent in 2014
• Year-end figure is highest UK total since 2007
• Sales of the IS saloon almost double in a year
• Fantastic launch performance for new NX 300h hybrid crossover

Lexus signed off 2014 with its highest UK sales total since 2007. The 11,572 vehicles sold represented an increase of 28.4 per cent on the previous year’s total.Central to this success is the phenomenal performance of the new IS sports saloon, which almost doubled its 2013 sales figure. 

Notably more than 90 per cent of IS leaving Britain’s showrooms have been the hybrid IS 300h, confirming the great customer appeal of its efficient, refined and reliable performance, with significant added tax benefits for business car drivers.

The momentum generated during the past 12 months has the potential to increase further during 2015, not least with the arrival of the new NX, Lexus’s first crossover model. Around 1,000 NX 300h hybrids have already reached the UK’s roads and early next year the range will grow to include the NX 200t, the first model to use Lexus’s new 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine.

The high-performance V8-powered RC F has enjoyed enthusiastic critical response, providing an excellent platform for the launch of the RC coupe, one of a number of new Lexus model introductions that will take place in the coming year.

Richard Balshaw, Lexus Director, said: “The great results achieved in 2014 reflect how Lexus is becoming a more exciting and distinctive luxury brand, giving customers real choice when it comes to innovative styling, advanced technology and the established benefits of Lexus quality and reliability.

“The immediate success of the NX is one example of how we are taking the brand into important new market areas and giving even more customers the chance to enjoy the special benefits of Lexus ownership.”

UK SALES - CITROEN & DS - Continued growth for the French giant with a raft of new metal.

• Citroën & DS in the UK record over 110,000 car & van sales in 2014
• Combined car & van sales up 9.2% compared to 2013
• DS 3 is most popular model, selling 19,977 units in 2014
• Four successful new model launches in 2014 contribute to growing sales & improved residual values

In 2014, Citroën and DS sold 110,625 new cars and LCVs in the UK, delivering a sales increase of 9.2% on 2013 thanks, in part, to its growing range of award-winning products.

Passenger car sales for the two brands increased by 6.4% to 83,397, with a significant contribution from three highly successful new car launches during the year – Grand C4 Picasso, New C1 and C4 Cactus. The premium DS 3 continues its run as the most popular choice for buyers across the Citroën and DS ranges, with 19,977 sales last year (incl. Cabrio).

The Grand C4 Picasso, New C1 and C4 Cactus represent a new positioning for the Citroën brand, with an even greater emphasis on eye-catching design, greater comfort and more useful technology, as well as excellence in terms of the customer ownership experience. As a result, more Retail customers have been attracted to the brands’ showrooms, with Retail sales up 9.0% to 35,629 registrations.

The combination of growing sales in 2014 and a multiple award-winning product range reflects the rising desirability and appeal of Citroën and DS models, which in turn helps to deliver increasingly competitive residual values across both ranges.

Last year’s results are particularly encouraging in the context of New Citroën C4 Cactus only going on sale in September 2014. That means 2015 will be the first full year of sales for the striking new model – which is just one of the seven 2015 European Car of the Year finalists and was recently voted BBC TopGear Magazine’s ‘Hatchback of the Year’.  

UK SALES - PEUGEOT - Growth over 2013 shows there is STILL life in the old Lion.

• Peugeot Retail new car sales up 12%, outperforming the market, with over 52,000 registrations
• December retail demand up 27% thanks to desirable new models such as 108, 2008 and 308
• LCV sales up a massive 50% year on year, the highest growth of any van manufacturer
• Strategy to further grow retail sales will continue during 2015

PEUGEOT’s drive to expand its retail share of the UK’s new car market has continued to pay dividend, with outstanding end-of-year figures for both Passenger Cars and Light Commercial Vehicles (LCVs).

Customer demand has been exceptional thanks to a model range that is the youngest in PEUGEOT’s history. It’s packed full of sophisticated design, exceptional value for money and high desirability.

The product range is also matched by customer experience with owners of the cars with the ‘Lion’ badge not shy about broadcasting the virtues of their vehicles either. PEUGEOT has recently joined forces with independent online customer review service Reevoo.

As part of an on-going commitment to customer satisfaction PEUGEOT publishes online assessments from genuine owners of its cars on www.peugeot.co.uk. Since March 2014, Reevoo has collected, collated and verified 2,063 reviews, with the average satisfaction rating an impressive 8.6 out of 10.

Total Sales:

Full-year total sales for 2014 stood at 135,834 – up more than 7% on the 2013 total; PEUGEOT’s 2014 total sales volume is the highest in seven years.

Passenger Car sales:

Full-year total retail new car sales for 2014 stood at 52,792 – a figure that’s up more than 12% on the 2013 total. It’s significantly higher than the industry average (+9.9%), and has seen PEUGEOT’s retail market share grow to 4.5% in 2014. Retail sales in December alone reached 2,679 units, a year-on-year rise of over 27%.

The sales growth is primarily thanks to exceptional retail sales performance from three critically acclaimed new models:

• The all-new PEUGEOT 108 proved it has what it takes to succeed in the city car segment, selling 7,579 units in the first six months of its life.
• Strong demand for the PEUGEOT 2008 Compact Crossover also continued to be exceptional with 17,419 sales in the model’s first full year.
• The PEUGEOT 308, the reigning European Car of the Year, put in an outstanding performance, with sales of 14,697.

Light Commercial Vehicle sales:

Dealers have had stunning success in 2014 with PEUGEOT’s versatile and practical range of commercial vehicles. The grand total for the year was 32,268 vans sold – up a massive 50% on 2013.

It’s the biggest UK market growth of any LCV manufacturer during 2014. It means PEUGEOT ended the year as the fourth largest player in the market, a jump of two places compared to 2013. The Brand’s market share grew from 7.7% in 2013 to 9.8% in 2014.

PEUGEOT Partner was the number one choice in the compact van sector, while the PEUGEOT Boxer was a top three performer in the K3 (3.26t-3.5t) and K4 (3.5t-5.0t) sectors. PEUGEOT was also the number one brand in 2014 for sales to Motorhome converters.

PEUGEOT’s strategy throughout 2014 was to drive growth in the retail sector and carefully selected fleet channels. It was supported by a managed reduction in sales to certain high-cost corporate sectors.

The sales strategy has been hugely successful and will continue in 2015, with demand across the range spearheading more success.

Neil Moscrop, previously PEUGEOT’s Sales Director and newly appointed Brand Director, commented: “2014 was a superb year for Peugeot, our best sales performance for seven years, with retail demand for our cars up 12% and outperforming the market. Our Dealer Network has played a significant role in our success this year, delivering exceptional levels of customer service and excelling not just with retail customers, but with fleet and small business. That coupled with an excellent sales performance in light commercial vehicle shows that PEUGEOT is very much ‘Back In the Race’.”

He added: “Our strategy for retail sales is very simple. We have a very competitive list price with higher specification levels than the sector average, supported by improving residual values, and we try to be transparent in the way we treat our customers. PEUGEOT’s desire to drive demand in the retail sector will continue over the next 12 months, supported by new product launches and exceptional customer service.”

UK SALES - MERCEDES VANS - The Premium car company has record sales of vans in the UK last year.

Mercedes-Benz Vans registered over 35,000 vehicles in 2014 – the brands’ best-ever performance in the UK.

The fantastic achievement also marked an eighth consecutive record-breaking quarter, with an increase in registrations of 16.1% over 2013, which was also a record-breaking year.

Of the 35,036 Mercedes-Benz Vans registrations recorded in 2014, the brand increased sales over the previous year in every month, with the exception of September.

In terms of individual model performance across the year, Sprinter van registrations increased by 12%, with Citan up by an impressive 39%, and Sprinter Chassis Cab increased by a massive 50%. Vito, in its run out year, remained at the same level as 2013.

Service & Parts has experienced 8.9% growth in Van Customer Pay parts sales, as well as a 7% growth in Van customer pay labour sales through the Mercedes-Benz Commercial Dealer network.

These gains are directly related to an increase of nearly 4,000 Vans utilising Mercedes-Benz workshops for retail and R&M work, with service contract packages showing a penetration level of 27.5% across New and Used products.

The Service24h roadside assistance programme continues to deliver a class-leading roadside assistance average time of 58 minutes and roadside repair rate in excess of 83%.    

2014 was also another record-breaking year for Mercedes-Benz Financial Services. In the year, MBFS funded more Vans than ever before, lending over £250 billion worth of finance, which represented a significant 6.8% increase on the previous year. Once again, nearly one third of all Mercedes-Benz Vans registered in the UK were funded by MBFS.

Steve Bridge, Managing Director, Mercedes-Benz Vans, said: “When we broke the 30,000 registrations barrier in 2013, we broke all records in the UK history of our brand; to now announce registrations in 2014 of over 35,000 is a remarkable feat.

“We have the products, services and people to provide van owners and operators of the UK with an outstanding offering and our success in 2014 is proof of that.

“This year will be our year of sustainability, focused on maintaining our impressive registration benchmark; we look forward to a successful 2015.”

UK SALES - FORD - The Blue Oval continues to dominate the UK market for nearly four decades.

Ford strengthened its UK market lead in 2014 while recording 38 consecutive years of car sales leadership and 49 years of UK commercial vehicle (CV) sales leadership.  Ford’s sales lead increased in all sectors: total vehicle, cars and commercial vehicles.

Highlights of the official full-year 2014 figures issued today by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) include:

• Ford is the number one UK car brand for 38 successive years.
• Ford commercial vehicles have been the UK's favourite for 49 years.
• Ford CV sales and share up in 2014, LCV share up from 10.1 to 18.9 per cent.
• Fiesta is the UK best seller for the sixth successive year.
• Focus is second in total vehicle sales, Transit nameplate sales would be fourth.
• Fiesta sales exceed the total sales of all but five rival car makers.

Mark Ovenden, Ford of Britain chairman and managing director, said:  "Ford’s commitment has been consistently to provide UK customers with the best vehicle range and after-sales support supplied through the strongest dealer network.  Our long-standing market leadership is the reward for delivering on this promise.

“In 2014, Ford extended its sales lead in a fiercely competitive market and launched a number of award-winning vehicles and technologies. In 2015, following the recent launches of the new Focus and Mondeo, we will be strengthening our vehicle range further with new Focus ST, S-MAX, Mustang and Vignale models and providing a transformed customer experience in partnership with our dealers, who invested significantly in their dealerships during 2014, with more planned in 2015."

According to the official SMMT figures, full year car sales in the UK in 2014 were up 9.4 per cent at 2,476,435 registrations, compared with 2013.  Ford sold 326,643 cars in the UK last year, up from 310,865 in 2013.  Ford’s car sales lead in 2014, over its nearest rival, increased by 10 per cent to 57,466.

Ford Fiesta’s total registrations of 131,254 in 2014, up from 121,929 in 2013, made it the UK best-seller by a significant margin.  This sales total would place it seventh in the list of top-selling car manufacturers, meaning that Fiesta on its own outsells the car ranges of all but five of Ford’s rival car makers.

Ford’s broad customer appeal across its car range is demonstrated by Fiesta, B-MAX, Focus, C-MAX, Kuga and Galaxy all being placed in the top three in their respective market segments.

Ford Transit has led the UK CV sector from its launch in 1965 and Ford’s CV range secured a 23.5 per cent share in 2014, up from 20.9 per cent in 2013.  Ford’s CV sales lead of 52,884 in 2014 increased by 27.6 per cent compared with 2013, while Ford’s UK total vehicle 2014 sales lead of 109,075 units was up by 18 per cent compared with 2013.

The full availability of Ford’s extended CV family helped deliver Ford light commercial sales and share increases in 2014 (18,030 and 18.9 per cent versus 9,482 and 10.1 per cent in 2013).  In the new Ford light commercial range, the Ford Transit Courier has quickly taken leadership in its segment, joining the Ford Fiesta Van as further LCV segment leader for Ford.

The December registration figures released by the SMMT show that UK car sales were up by 8.7 per cent at 166,198 units, compared with December 2013.  Ford car sales were 20,509, up from 19,496 in December 2013.

UK commercial vehicle sales in December were down 10.6 per cent at 29,389, compared with December 2013.  Total sales of Ford CVs were up 25.3 per cent at 6,359, compared with December 2013.  Ford light commercials increased sales and share in December, compared with December 2013, up from 437 to 1,827 registrations and from 6.8 to 27.4 per cent, respectively.