Volkswagen still on top as number of cars licensed jumps

The number of new cars licensed in the first nine months of the year rose by 31.7 per cent compared to the same period in 2014, according to the Central Statistics Office(CSO).

The latest figures show there was a 35.4 per cent rise in new cars licensed last month as against September 2014 with 5,924 cars registered versus 1,548.

A total of 3,743 used cars were licensed last month, down 14.5 per cent compared to September 2014.

The number of used cars licensed for the nine months to the end of September fell by 12.2 per cent versus the same period a year earlier.

Volkswagen remained the most popular car to be licensed, followed by Ford, Toyota, Nissan and Opel. Together, these five brands make up 47.2 per cent of all new cars licensed. The latest data partly covers the period during which details of Volkswagen’s emissions scandal were first published.

The Irish Times reported late last month that both dealers and Volkswagen Group Ireland were refusing to comment on questions put to them by journalists regarding a possible loss of business as a direct result of the scandal.

According to the CSO, the total number of new vehicles licensed last month was 8,323 compared with 6,562 for the same month a year earlier. This is equivalent to an increase of 26.8 per cent.

The figures show a 13.2 per cent rise in the number of new goods vehicles licensed in September.