It's the biggest segment of the Irish market, representing some 36 per cent of all car sales. Therefore the best seller here will usually get the top spot in terms of overall new car sales in Ireland.
BESTSELLERS: Ford Focus; Toyota Corolla; VW Golf
That's the case with the Ford Focus (10,830), the new version of which was introduced in time to capture last January's sales rush. It has toppled the Toyota Corolla (7,873 - Verso not included in this figure) from the top spot and opened a good lead on the new VW Golf (6,990) as well.
Nissan's Almera (6,608) continues to be a strong performer for the Japanese brand, quietly holding its share of the segment above 10 per cent. It's top four position must undoubtedly annoy the likes of Opel, whose new Astra (4,780) is arguably worthy of more sales than it has mustered so far this year.
Away from the traditional hatches, the more sporty versions are doing well, with the star of the show continuing to be MINI (990). The funky remake has proved a big hit with young urban motorists and it's still selling well four years into its life cycle. Among the newcomers to shake up the market next year, expect Honda's new Civic to sell a lot more than the still respectable 1,355 sold so far this year.
BESTSELLERS: Toyota Avensis; Skoda Octavia; VW Passat
There used to be a relatively close-fought battle for leadership of the family saloon segment, with all the big players vying for the top spot. However, since Toyota launched its new Avensis (8,749), they've been unstoppable.
With over 26 per cent of the family car market so far this year, their reign seems set to last for some time to come.
Next up is the Skoda Octavia (3,888), with buyers attracted by its sound build quality and good value proposition. It looks well to boot. It is being closely followed by its VW cousin, the Passat (3,274) which will probably overtake it in 2006 given that it has a new more premium model on offer for the new year sales blitz.
Ford's Mondeo (3,108) is still holding up well, ahead of the Peugeot 407 (2,802). The French model has shot up the rankings since the introduction of the eyecatching new model. Overall, this market segment has increased by over 20 per cent this year.
That's largely down to the success of the Avensis, but most of the mainstream models have also recorded growth, with the exception of the Mazda 6 (1,419) and Renault Laguna (1,435). However, both of these have revised versions on offer for the January market.
Figures in brackets refer to sales from January to October 2005