New car sales are up 15 per cent on last year and well on their way to finishing the year at 200,000, according to unofficial figures for the first 20 days of the month.
Car registrations for the first 20 days were 32,184, up 4,259 on the same period last year.
While the figures are provisional, they show Toyota still on top with 13.5 per cent of sales, but Ford is closing the gap, with 12.3 per cent of the market.
Currently Volkswagen is in third place with 10.2 per cent, followed by Nissan with 7.5 per cent and Opel with 6.7 per cent.
Volkswagen has recorded significant growth, thanks in part to the new Passat and Polo models now on sale.
However, while both Toyota and Ford are likely to retain their top positions as the month goes on, the other three may well change. Of the major movers, Kia has done well, with sales up significantly on the same period last year.
At the luxury end, Lexus has recorded a significant rise in sales, closing in on a 1 per cent share.
Also in the executive sector, BMW remains ahead of arch-rivals Mercedes, with sales so far this month at 1,336 for the Bavarians and 1,231 for the three-pointed star.
With dealers reporting strong sales in the first few weeks of the year, registration numbers in Dublin had exceeded 11,683 by close of business Monday. Of these, 10,078 were passenger cars.
In Co Cork, registrations were at 5,091, of which 4,281 were cars, while in Kildare - the third biggest county for registrations - new number plates had already reached 2,094, comprising 1,684 passenger cars.
At the other end of the market, Fiat continues to languish with just 263 cars registered during the first 20 days while its premium marque Alfa registered just 57.
However, both are expected to show significant growth in the coming weeks with the introduction of the new Punto for Fiat and the long-awaited replacement for the Alfa Romeo 156, the new 159.
