New car sales for the first nine months of this year are up 4.76 per cent on last year, with 87,182 registrations.
However, sales figures from the Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI) show that, on a monthly basis, sales in September were down 35.3 per cent on last year.
There has been a significant drop in sales since the scrappage scheme ended in June. Registrations last month were just 2,775 compared to 4,289.
Toyota remains the most popular brand with 13 per cent of new registrations, followed by Volkswagen with 12.4 per cent, Ford with 11.8 per cent and Renault with 9.6 per cent.
Two premium brands make it into the top ten most popular brands, with Audi holding ninth place on 3.8 per cent and BMW with 3.8 per cent.
In terms of the most popular cars, the Ford Focus is Ireland’s favourite new car, followed by the VW Golf and Toyota Avensis.
Regionally, new car registrations figures are worst affected on the west coast, with sales in both Donegal and Kerry down 9 per cent so far this year, while sales in Dublin are actually up 12.2 per cent to 32,822, and 12.7 per cent in Kilkenny.
Registrations in Leitrim did rise by 15.2 per cent but from a low base of just 401 cars by September 2010 to 462 for the same period this year.
Irish buyers continue to opt for diesel models, making up 64 per cent of new cars sold this year, compared to 32 per cent petrol.
Alternative powertrains have yet to capture the public’s interest, with 3.3 per cent of new vehicles registered as flexifuel (supposedly powered by biofuels though supply of this fuel is very limited and most cars therefore run on regular petrol), while hybrids make up just 0.8 per cent of new sales and electric cars registered so far this year number just 44.
It’s a far cry from the 500 or so new Leaf sales predicted by Nissan at the start of the year.