Abarth (up 14%)
Fiat’s go-fast brand has been offering hotted up 500s for several years now, but the launch of the new Fiat 124 Spider has finally given the Abarth brand another model to work its magic on.
The Abarth 124 Spider certainly looks the part, although the multi-coloured panels are a bit of an acquired taste. White bodywork with a black bonnet and red door mirrors make it look like you’re still saving up for a full re-spray.
The Abarth 595 models have also been given a refresh after Fiat updated the regular 500, and remain as hilariously fun to drive as ever.
Porsche (up 13%)
Maker of posh SUVs and the odd sports car, Porsche has given its entire range a going-over in the last couple of years. And like its parent company Volkswagen, Porsche is trying to put its Dieselgate woes behind it and draw attention to its upcoming hybrid and electric models.
With its two SUV cash cows Macan and Cayenne generating plenty of income, Porsche has been building ever-faster and more advanced versions of the 911 and Boxster/Cayman, along with the second-generation Panamera range.
Mercedes-Benz (up 10%)
The three-pointed-star stretches across a product range far broader than any other, and it’s been a good year so far for the Mercedes-Benz car division. The new E-Class range has been very well received, and the C-Class continues to sell well. The S-Class has also been updated and continues to stand proudly above pretenders to its crown from BMW and Audi.
With so many models on offer, there’s always going to be something new in the pipeline. AMG has a hot four-door saloon in the works, which may or may not replace the existing CLS range. The front-drive models, especially the A-Class and B-Class, are also starting to look a bit long in the tooth alongside newer opposition.
Suzuki (up 9%)
Suzuki is on a bit of a roll lately, with the new Ignis, Vitara and Swift models all getting strong praise from the media. The Swift and Ignis took a bit of a hit from Euro NCAP, only scoring three stars in their crash tests, but otherwise it’s been a return to form for Suzuki.
The Suzuki range has always been fairly niche, and that’s not likely to change. Don’t expect any large (or even medium-sized) cars and SUVs to start appearing on Suzuki forecourts any time soon, but dealers will be hoping that the current range can continue to generate many happy customers for the foreseeable future.
Next page: It’s all downhill from here
