New sales figures released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) show that the Ford Fiesta was still the most popular vehicle in the UK in September.

Of the 403,136 total cars sold in the month, 20,629 of them were Ford Fiestas. It is the best-selling car of 2013.

Second in 2013 is the Ford Fiesta’s big brother, the Ford Focus. The Focus was the third best-seller in September behind the Vauxhall Corsa, which outsold it by just 169 units.

There was an upswing in sales for a number of vehicles, partly down to the change to the 63-plate. Amongst them was the Fiat 500, which moved into the top 10 with 7,422 models sold.

SMMT Chief Executive Mike Hawes commented on the trend: “The September new car registrations figure was the highest monthly total since March 2008. With over 400,000 new cars registered for the first time in more than five years, the UK market is reflecting growing economic confidence.

“Robust private demand has played a major role in this growth with customers attracted by exciting, increasingly fuel-efficient new models that offer savings in the cost of ownership. This is the 19th consecutive month of steady growth and, with fleet and business demand still to reach pre-recession levels, we believe the performance to be sustainable. The latest 63-plate should deliver positive results into next year.”