Ford's Fiesta became the most popular car in Europe in March

Figures from industry analyst firm JATO Dynamics said that Ford's Fiesta model has ousted the VOLKSWAGEN Golf, topped the list of most popular cars in Europe. According to JATO, it is the first time in a year that the Golf has dropped from top of the most bought car list.

The survey found there has been a particular growth in car sales in Germany and Italy, where scrappage schemes have been introduced by the governments.

"Germany and Italy are big markets for new cars and we're really seeing the commercial benefits brought about by the new incentives," said David Di Girolamo, head of JATO.

He added: "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."

The results could encourage more people to buy used cars from Ford. The company has recently revealed its used car sector is performing well.

A recent sale of its new Ka and Fiesta models in the used car market saw the vehicles sold for an average of 85 per cent of their original cost.

The Ford Fiesta picked up the Car of the Year for 2009 and the Best Supermini accolades at the What Car? awards recently.

VOLKSWAGEN pricing New Hot Diesel Golf GTD in the UK

A new brother of the Golf GTI but powered by a diesel engine----the Golf GTD. Volkswagen has revealed pricing for this performance diesel vehicle. The new model is available to order at Volkswagen Retailers in the UK, with the first ones being shipped in June this year.

Prices will start at £21,850 RRP ‘on the road’ for the three-door, six-speed manual model. There is a £585 premium for the five-door model and a £1,305 for the six-speed DSG automatic gearbox.
Powering the new GTD is a refined 2.0-litre (1,968 cc) common rail TDI engine, producing 170 PS and a substantial 258 lbs ft of torque channelled via a six-speed manual or automatic DSG gearbox. This translates to effortless performance with the ability to accelerate to 62 mph in 8.1 seconds and a top speed of 138 mph. Combined with CO2 emissions of just 139 g/km and average fuel consumption of 53.3 mpg and a range in excess of 640 miles on a single tank of fuel, the GTD is a frugal yet exciting hot hatch.

The Golf GTD’s appearance differs significantly from the standard Golf. A new front bumper from the GTI sits below a honeycomb grille element framed by chrome horizontal fins and a prominent ‘GTD’ badge. At the rear, full body-coloured bumpers make the GTD appear lower and wider than it really is, while the Golf’s standard wheels are replaced with unique 17-inch ‘Seattle Black’ alloys.

Inside, the main contact points are unique to the Golf GTD – a flat-bottomed steering wheel, a leather gearshift and a standard tartan interior. The tartan finish is unique to the GTD and is subtly different from that found in the GTI, being grey, white and black, rather than red, white and black.

As with the entire Golf range, the new GTD will feature class-leading levels of safety with ABS, ESP (Electronic Stabilisation Programme) and seven airbags, including for the first time a knee airbag, all standard. Volkswagen's Golf was recently awarded the prestigious World Car of the Year 2009 at the New York International Motor Show, demonstrating the model's quality.

However, despite its success at the event, figures from industry analyst firm JATO Dynamics found that for the first time in a year, the model has been knocked off top spot in the European sales charts.

The Fiesta was the most popular car in Europe during March, the study found.