Auburn Hills, Michigan – The new Ford Fiesta has emerged as the best-selling model in Europe, marking the first time in a year that the Volkswagen Golf has not held the title. The Fiesta sold 52,805 units in March, according to data company JATO Dynamics.

Overall, the European new-car market fell 9.0 per cent in March 2009 when compared to March 2008, for a total of 1,488,386 units. Year-to-date, the market dropped 16.9 per cent when compared to the same period in 2008.

Crucial to the Fiesta’s success has been its increased sales in Germany and Italy, and sustained performance in the otherwise depressed U.K. market.

“It’s interesting to see the continued effect that the government scrapping incentives have had in certain markets,” said David Di Girolamo, head of JATO Consult. “Germany and Italy are big markets for new cars, and we’re really seeing the commercial benefits brought about by the new incentives. We will track the markets with interest, as it will be important to understand if this is a short-term reaction by consumers, or if it will have a prolonged effect on the market.”

Several small models have also risen to greater prominence in the top ten, including the Volkswagen Polo and Fiat Punto. Much of this can be attributed to Italy, where the inclusion of CNG (compressed natural gas) and LPG (liquified petroleum gas) vehicles in the incentive scheme has provided a boost, JATO said.

The top ten sellers in Europe in March, in order, were the Ford Fiesta, Volkswagen Golf, Opel/Vauxhall Corsa, Peugeot 207, Volkswagen Polo, Fiat Punto, Ford Focus, Fiat Panda, Renault Clio and Opel/Vauxhall Astra. The Golf still leads sales year-to-date, followed by the Fiesta, 207, Corsa, Focus, Polo, Punto, Panda, Clio and Astra.

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