Hefty 50% rise in light commercial vehicles

WITH 22,000 light commercial vehicles sold so far this year, the top 10 importers are responsible for 90% of them, leaving 19 more brands scrabbling for the balance.

Those sales are 50% up on the same period last year, underpinning the belief that the recession is ending rapidly.

Ford retains its crown as the van leader, with 5,540 units sold at the end of September, followed by Volkswagen (3,221), Renault (2,817), Toyota (1,748), Citroen (1, 301), Opel (1,061), Peugeot (1,017), Mercedes-Benz (1,008), Nissan (935) and Land Rover (929).