Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) figures published today show the Ford Fiesta strengthened its position as the UK’s most popular car in August. Year-to-date figures for the Fiesta stand at just over 70,000 cars.

Hot on its heels was its fiercest rival the Vauxhall Corsa which found 2,430 homes. The Blue Oval also occupies the third position with the Ford Focus 2,089 units.

Rounding out the top ten:

• Volkswagen Golf in fourth with 1,933 models sold

• Vauxhall Astra in fifth (1,567);

• VW Polo in sixth (1,484);

• Audi A3 in seventh (1,243);

• Nissan Qashqai in eighth (1,238);

• Vauxhall’s Zafira in ninth (1,1614)

• BMW 1 Series finishes the top ten with (1,136)

The SMMT declared the new car market in August to be ‘stable’.

Overall, new car registrations grew by one per cent to 59,433 units in August, and SMMT figures showed the market jumped 3.3 per cent to 1,260,997 units from January to August – that’s a rise of more than 40,000 units on 2011.

SMMT chief executive, Paul Everitt, said: “The economic outlook remains challenging, but vehicle manufacturers and dealers are working hard to sustain demand and deliver great-value products and services to customers.”

“After months of steadily rising figures, it was only a matter of time before consumer appetite for new cars eased,” said Richard Lowe, head of retail and wholesale at Barclays. “This brings to an end a positive summer of sales, despite the odds.”

Sue Robinson, director of the RMI National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA), added: “August is traditionally a small market as buyers wait for the plate change on September 1, before purchasing a new vehicle.

“We anticipate consumers returning to the showrooms in the Autumn with consumers showing interest in value for money, easy to maintain and fuel efficient vehicles.”