The Government's scrappage incentive scheme looks set to shake up the UK sales charts when June's registration figures are released next month, according to leaks from inside the motor industry.
The SMMT won't issue the official figures until early July, but according to multiple well-placed sources, Hyundai is currently outselling Vauxhall on retail sales, those made to customers parting with their own money. If the Korean company can continue its strong performance to the end of the month it looks set to take the number two spot behind Ford.
According to the Government, more than 60,000 new cars have already been ordered through the scrappage scheme, which gives the owners of older cars who agree to trade them in for scrapping a £2000 voucher to use against the purchase of a new car. Toyota, Suzuki and Kia are also doing extremely well on the unofficial mid-month figures, benefiting from strong demand for the cheaper cars in their ranges.
Hyundai's strong showing comes on the back of a stellar performance in May, when the company's UK sales increased by 37 per cent against an overall fall in the market of 25 per cent, and the company says it's biggest problem now is getting enough stock to satisfy demand, with dealers quoting a two-month wait for an entry-level i10.
Vauxhall's substantial fleet business means that there's little chance it will end the month lagging behind Hyundai in overall sales numbers, but the Korean company's increasing market share - which looks certain to put it into the UK's top 10 car manufacturers on overall annual sales - is certain to cause alarm among rival makers.
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