2018 (Full Year) France: Best-Selling Car Models

The Renault Clio and Peugeot 208 easily maintained their positions as the favorite car models of the French in 2018. Both models sold in record numbers despite replacements being expected during 2019. Peugeot and Renault again dominated the top ten list of most popular car models in France in 2018 but for the first time two Dacia models were also amongst the top-selling cars in France. The VW Polo was again the top imported car model in France but slipped to only 13th most popular car model in 2018.

  

2018 (Full Year) France: Best-Selling Car Models

January 2, 2019 by Henk Bekker in France

In 2018, the Renault Clio and Peugeot 208 were again the top-selling car models in France.

The Renault Clio and Peugeot 208 easily maintained their positions as the favorite car models of the French in 2018. Both models sold in record numbers despite replacements being expected during 2019. Peugeot and Renault again dominated the top ten list of most popular car models in France in 2018 but for the first time two Dacia models were also amongst the top-selling cars in France. The VW Polo was again the top imported car model in France but slipped to only 13th most popular car model in 2018.

Best-Selling Car Models in France in 2018 (Full Year)

New passenger vehicle registrations in France in the full year 2018 (January to December) released by the CCFA showed the following as the top 25 best-selling car models in France in 2018:

Car Make & Model Sold 2018 Sold 2017 Sold 2016

1 Renault Clio IV 123,658 117,541 112,152

2 Peugeot 208 102,395 97,663 97,830

3 Peugeot 3008 II 84,834 74,297 –

4 Citroen C3 III 77,937 67,276 51,843

5 Dacia Sandero 70,077 61,481 56,199

6 Renault Captur 67,396 68,773 70,769

7 Peugeot 2008 66,284 67,979 65,986

8 Peugeot 308 II 63,218 66,163 75,509

9 Dacia Duster 46,931 37,042 36,428

10 Renault Twingo III 46,372 39,022 40,793

11 Renault Mégane IV 45,434 51,536 45,776

12 Citroen C3 Aircross 43,799 8,618 –

13 Volkswagen Polo 36,952 32,985 40,155

14 Toyota Yaris 36,588 31,415 30,967

15 Peugeot 5008 II 31,125 18,972 –

16 Renault Kadjar 27,176 31,522 38,145

17 Volkswagen Golf VII 26,736 30,544 32,976

18 Opel Corsa 26,689 22,951 20,377

19 Fiat 500 25,441 20,409 –

20 Ford Fiesta 25,187 13,632 24,434

21 Nissan Qashqai 2 23,720 26,570 24,520

22 Renault Scenic IV 23,426 26,537 7,201

23 VW Tiguan II 21,539 25,286 14,281

24 Peugeot 108 20,822 17,060 –

25 Toyota C-HR 20,203 16,357 –

26 Souce: CCFA – – –

Top Ten Best-Selling Car Models in France in 2018

In 2018, only five of the 25 best-selling car models in France were in the same rank position as a year ago. These included the top three favorite cars of the French: the Renault Clio, Peugeot 208 and Peugeot 3008.

The Renault Clio was not only the best-selling car model in France in 2018 but sold in higher numbers than ever. The current Renault Clio IV has been the favorite car of the French since its introduction in 2012. In contrast to most car models in France, sales of the Clio steadily increased despite the aging of the model to reach a new high of 123,658 cars in 2018.

In 2018, the Peugeot 208 also maintained its traditional second place in the top ten list of best-selling car models in France. The 208 has been in second since 2103, its first full year on sale in France. Sales of the Peugeot 208 also reached a new high in France in 2018 and exceeded 100,000 cars in a year for the first time ever.

Although the models were refreshed, both the Renault Clio and Peugeot 2018 are relatively old models and both are expected to relaunch on new platforms during 2019. The 208 will also share this new platform with Citroen and Opel Corsa models.

The Peugeot 3008 maintained its third place from a year ago and increased sales by more than 10,000 cars. Citroen C3 sales increased by similar numbers and two rank positions from a year ago.

The Dacia Sandero improved from 8th a year ago to 5th – the highest position ever for a Dacia in France. (Dacia passed VW to become the fourth largest car brand in France in 2018.)

The aging Renault Captur and Peugeot 2008 each dropped two rank positions despite sales remaining relatively strong. The Peugeot 308 slipped on rank position.

All-New 2016 Mitsubishi Pajero Sport Officially Revealed

Mitsubishi might be having a rough time in America, but in Asia, it's pushing out a new generation of its popular Pajero Sport series.

Some of you may also come to know the 7-seater SUV as the Challenger, Montero Sport, Nativa and Pajero Dakar in other markets.

A rival to the pickup-based Chevrolet Trailblazer, Ford Everest, Isuzu MU-X and Toyota Fortuner SUVs, the 2016 Pajero Sport owes its underpinnings to the latest iteration of the L200 / Triton pickup truck.

You can tell that it's related to the L200, but not in a bad way, as Mitsubishi gifted the rugged Pajero Sport with unique styling cues, including more contemporary front and rear end designs.

Inside, the dashboard layout is identical to the L200 with added touches in the way of trimmings, equipment, materials, steering wheel, and a different lower center console with a more upscale looking automatic gear lever.

The Pajero Sport rides on a 2,800mm wheelbase retaining the same width of 1,815mm as its predecessor, but it's 90mm longer at 4,785mm and 35mm shorter in height at 1,805mm for the AWD model. Mitsubishi says that ground clearance has increased by 13mm to 218mm.

While we expected the Pajero Sport to share the L200's new 2.4-liter MIVEC turbo diesel engine, which in Thailand, is rated at  181PS (178hp) and 430Nm (317lb-ft) of torque (the L200 also get a 154PS / 152hp version of the same unit), Mitsubishi surprised us by offering a brand-new 8-speed automatic instead of the truck's 5-speed unit.

The Japanese firm says that the new powertrain returns a 17-percent improvement in fuel economy over its predecessor, while also achieving CO2 emissions of under 200g/km.

Further details about the Pajero Sport, including specs and availability in markets outside Thailand should be released in the coming weeks.

New Naked Bikes for 2016 and 2017 That We Want to Ride

Bimota Tesi 3D RC

The 2017 Toyota 86 Is Here To Replace The Scion FR-S

They say that from death comes life, and that sentiment can be used to describe the introduction of the first bona-fide sports car to the Toyota brand’s North American range in over a decade, the 86, born from the demise of the Scion FR-S.

Unveiled today at the New York Auto Show, the 2017 Toyota 86 is the reincarnation of what would have been the facelifted FR-S had Scion not been axed.

It borrows its name from the international model offered in Japan, Australia, South Africa and other countries, however, if you ask us, the European market moniker “GT 86” would have done just fine.

“The name 86 is shared globally, and is passed down from the car that inspires it, the Corolla GT-S, known by its true fans as the AE86 or “hachi-roku,” which means 8-6 in Japanese,” said Toyota boss Bill Fay during the car’s presentation in the Big Apple. “As you can see, the name isn’t the only thing that has changed. We’re investing in the 86 to make it better than ever, with styling updates, new wheels and more premium materials throughout.

And by that, Fay means the 86’s front end got a little bit busier than the FR-S – a pattern we’re seeing on other recent Toyota models too, like the Prius Prime, with a larger front grille, new LED headlamp fixtures and turn signals, and a reshaped bumper. The rear was refinished with LED tail lamps and a new bumper design, with the car also gaining a new set of alloy wheels.

Inside, Toyota says it added a new “Grandlux” soft-touch material on the instrument panel surround and the door trims, together with different upholstery for the seats with silver stitching and a new sports steering wheel with integrated audio controls, and in the automatic models, bigger paddle shifters.

Beneath the skin, the 86 benefits from a retuned suspension to improve handling, and in the case of the 6-speed manual gearbox model, a change in the differential ratio and a 5hp bump for the 2.0-lite flat four engine that now produces 205hp and 156 lb-ft of torque. The automatic model keeps the same 200hp engine as the 2016 FR-S.

The new Toyota 86 will go on sale in US and Canadian dealerships this fall, by which time, we should see its Subaru twin, the 2017 BRZ facelift, that was caught undisguised earlier this week sporting similar number of revisions.

Top Upcoming Scooters in 2016

Mahindra Gusto 125

Mahindra Gusto 125 is based on the same platform as the Gusto 110
Flying high on the success story, the Gusto has written from the time of its launch, Mahindra Two Wheelers unveiled the Gusto 125 earlier this year which will be introduced pan India in a phased manner. Visually, the Gusto 125 gets basic tweaks compared to the 110cc version with a new paint job, larger wheels and a bigger engine being most prominent of all. The scooter uses a 124.6cc engine that is tuned to produce 8.5bhp at 7000rpm and 10Nm of torque at 5500rpm. Power is transmitted via an automatic unit. Launched in Bangalore at 50,680 (ex-showroom), the Gusto 125 is expected to be competitively priced in other cities as well.

Vespa GTS 300

The Vespa GTS 300 is likely to be imported as a CBU

Italian manufacturer Piaggio is looking to introduce the Vespa GTS 300 premium scooter in the country by the end of this year. Taking the premium route, the GTS 300 would be one of the most expensive scooters to be sold in the country and is likely to be introduced as a Completely Built Unit (CBU). Beautifully retro in its appeal, the Vespa GTS 300 is powered by a 278cc, single-cylinder engine churning out 21bhp and 22.3Nm of torque. The scooter gets an analog instrument cluster with an LCD display, and internationally comes equipped with traction control and dual-channel ABS. It will be interesting to see the kind of response the GTS 300 will garner in India, especially with a price tag expected around 4 lakh (ex-showroom).

Aprilia SR 150

The SR 150 was showcased at the 2016 Auto Expo
The Aprila SR 150 was showcased to the audiences at the 2016 Auto Expo and is easily one of the best looking scooters out there. Sporty and sharp in design, the SR 150 will be produced at the company's facility at Baramati, Maharashtra and is expected to be introduced in the third quarter of 2016. Power on the scooter will come from a 154.4cc 3-valve, air-cooled, single-cylinder engine that will belt out around 11.8bhp and 11Nm of torque, while paired to a CVT unit. The scooter will also feature a 220mm front disc brake and a 130mm rear drum brake setup to ensure stopping performance is at its best. Given its sporty credentials, the Aprilia SR 150 won't come cheap and is expected to command a price tag around the 1 lakh mark (ex-showroom), making it one of the most expensive scooters in the country.

Honda PCX 150

Honda Motorcycles and Scooters India (HMSI) is also expected to launch the PCX 150 - a 153cc liquid-cooled maxi scooter - in the Indian market sometime in 2016. The Honda PCX 150 might also start a new era in the Indian automobile industry making scooters more powerful than the commuters. The Honda PCX 150 will be powered by a 153cc, liquid-cooled, single-cylinder engine clubbed with an automatic transmission. The two telescopic forks at the front are 31mm and will provide enough confidence to the rider along with a 220mm disc brake at the front and a drum at the rear. Availability of CBS on the PCX 150 will enhance the stability and stopping abilities of the PCX 150. With the arrival of the Honda PCX 150, the possibility of a more powerful Honda Activa 150 also can't be ruled out which might be powered by the same engine.

Toyota’s 2017 Highlander heads to New York with updated styling, powertrains.

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The Toyota Highlander is one of those crossovers that makes one wonder why its owner didn’t just buy a minivan. Sure, it’s got a tall ride height and styling that makes it look vaguely like a truck, but that styling isn’t very interesting, and there’s nothing on the spec sheet that hints at the Highlander being fun to drive.

At least Toyota is diligent about updates. Debuting at the 2016 New York Auto Show, the 2017 Toyota Highlander gets a refresh that includes revised styling and some mechanical changes. The updates will likely keep the Highlander selling in droves, but probably won’t make it any less boring.

The biggest news is the addition of an eight-speed automatic transmission and a 3.5-liter direct-injected V6 that Toyota says is new. The company wouldn’t release specifications for this powertrain, but says it will be shared with the 2017 Sienna minivan. The 3.5-liter V6 in the current Highlander makes 270 horsepower and 248 pound-feet of torque, and is mated to a six-speed automatic.

Scaled Composites and Microsoft Close to Completing World’s Largest Airplane

Scaled Composites has confirmed that its Stratolaunch Carrier Aircraft, the world’s biggest plane, will begin testing next year. The concept of the plane is a product of combined innovation from Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen and Burt Rutan, founder of Scaled Composites. The plane is currently under construction at Mojave Air and Spaceport in California, and will eventually have a wingspan of 385 feet.

Initially, the system was intended to just deliver satellites weighing up to about 13,500lbs (6,124 kg) into orbits between 112 miles and 1,243 miles above Earth. However, instead of just satellites, the Stratolaunch airplane could launch a Dream Chaser spaceship carrying a satellite. The Stratolauncher will climb to 30,000 feet and launch a rocket at high altitude, avoiding the huge fuel costs of launching from Earth. The Dream Chaser will then go into orbit and deliver a satellite. The idea is for the Stratolaunch Carrier is to act as a giant air pad in the sky, allowing payloads to reach space faster and at a lower cost than existing technologies.

“It could provide a highly responsive capability with the potential to reach a variety of LEO [low Earth orbit] destinations and return astronauts or payloads to a U.S. runway within 24 hours,” said Chuck Beames, president of Allen’s Vulcan Aerospace. “Stratolaunch’s ability to launch from variable locations will enable satellites and humans to be efficiently inserted into their most optimal orbit at a time of the customer’s choosing.”

The first launch of the space launch vehicle is likely to take place in 2018. There are currently several launch sites under consideration, including ones at the Kennedy Space Center, Wallops Island and Vandenberg AFB. Scaled Composites president Kevin Mickey says the company has so far built “roughly 200,000lbs of composite structure” for the vehicle so far. It will be powered by six 747-class engines during its first flight in 2016 and will weigh 1.2 million pounds.