AM’s Franchise Guide 2014 looks at each of the manufacturer brands, the vehicles they have on the horizon and the opportunities they present in the near future, using data from our intelligence website, AMi, and the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.
Volvo will get a chance to express its new identity under Geely ownership with the launch of the second-generation XC90 in 2015.
Volkswagen, the third-biggest player in the UK car market, has seen its share decline slightly in the past few years despite increasing its registrations.
Vauxhall has been in second place behind Ford in the new car market in the UK for many years, but the manufacturer has designs on becoming number one – in retail and true fleet sales – by 2016.
Toyota is a smaller player in the UK car market than it used to be and although it has dropped some of the slower-selling cars from the line-up in recent years, it still has one of the most diverse ranges and sales have been increasing since 2011.
Suzuki came close to equalling its best ever year in the UK for new car sales in 2013, registering just more than 33,000 units and taking a 1.5% market share.
Subaru is a brand that appears to be on an upswing again, albeit from a low base and following many years of decline.
SsangYong is back in the ascendancy, after several challenging years following a restructuring. It is aiming for growth in the UK driven by new models and adding more dealers to its network.
Skoda has left its former image as a budget brand behind and is going from strength to strength, with continuous growth in market share since 2007 and improving sales every year from 2009.
There may be concerns over the future of the Seat brand in Europe, but in the UK it has been a big success.
Renault is in the process of rebuilding sales following tough decisions to slim down its model range and cut back its dealer network.
Porsche has successfully maintained its image as one of the top sportscar producers at the same time as expanding its range to include SUVs and saloons.
Peugeot in the UK is performing rather better than parent company PSA in recent years, but it is likely that we will see some rationalisation in the range as the manufacturer seeks to cut some of the less profitable models.
Nissan’s UK business began a turnaround with the introduction of the first Qashqai in 2007 and it is still on the crest of that wave, with both sales and market share increasing every year since 2008.
Mitsubishi had a 1% share of the market and 25,000 car registrations in 2005. It has never approached that level since, but a resurgence is under way.
Mini has sold more cars every year since 2009, but market share since 2011 has not kept pace.
MG Motor UK is gradually re-establishing itself with an increasing range of cars and a strengthening network of dealers. So far this year, the brand has 1,483 registrations, a 777% increase on the same period in 2013.
Mercedes-Benz’s growth will be fuelled by new products, many of which are compact and affordable, giving drivers an opportunity to own or lease a new Mercedes-Benz they might not have had before.
A resurgence in fleet sales on the back of low-CO2 and fuel-efficient Skyactiv models has helped Mazda begin recapturing market share it had been losing since 2009.
Lotus registrations have been in a downward trend for the past 12 years and show little sign of improving.
