The proposed merger of Fiat Chrysler (FCA) and Renault would create an automotive powerhouse, as two giants of the motoring world join forces to take on the likes of Volkswagen, Toyota and General Motors. The new company would be a “world leader in the rapidly changing automotive industry with a strong position in transforming technologies, including electrification and autonomous driving”, said FCA in a statement. Using data supplied by Focus2move, we can reveal the best-selling car brands of the year so far. All figures are for the first four months of 2019.

25. Isuzu Motors

Isuzu Motors just creeps into the top 25 with year-to-date sales of 116,930. The company is most famous for the D-Max pick-up, which is popular in the UK in both the commercial and lifestyle sectors.

24. JAC Motors

Anhui Jianghuai Automobile (JAC) Group is a Chinese state-owned car manufacturer which was ranked 50th among the top 100 global automobile brands in 2018. It expects sales of new energy vehicles to account for 20 percent of its total sales volume by 2020 and 30 percent by 2025. Year-to-date sales are down 24.6 percent.

23. BYD Auto

BYD – or Build Your Dreams – is the world’s number one producer of plug-in vehicles globally, employing a quarter of a million people and shifting up to 30,000 pure EVs or plug-in hybrids in China every month. So far this year, BYD has shifted 153,182 cars, including 35,654 in April alone.

22. Chery Automobile

Chinese state-owned car manufacturer Chery is reportedly in talks with Tata Motors regarding a joint venture enabling it to enter the Indian market. The Chinese firm already has a similar relationship with Tata-owned Jaguar Land Rover. Chery has sold 189,249 cars in 2019.

21. Dongfeng Motor

Dongfeng Motor is having a terrible year, slipping from 17th overall in 2018 to 21st so far in 2019. Year-to-date sales are down 44.1 percent to 223,439, but it has just announced sales of 13,549 in May, which is slightly up on May 2018.

20. BAIC Group

BAIC Group – or Beijing Automotive Industry Holding Co. Ltd – is a Chinese state-owned holding company of several car manufacturers with year-to-date sales of 256,323. This is down 20.9 percent on the same period in 2018. According to some sources, BAIC is hoping to secure a five percent stake in Daimler.

19. SAIC Motor

SAIC will be best known to UK consumers for its ownership of MG and Roewe. MG unveiled its first fully electric car at the London Motor Show, with the ZS EV hitting the streets later this year. MG has sold 272,747 cars in 2019.

18. Tata

Tata is a huge multinational conglomerate with fingers in many pies, boasting companies in aerospace, defence, steel, financial services and telecommunications. With year-to-date automotive sales of 273,221, Tata is ranked 18th on the list of best-selling car brands.

17. Great Wall

UK consumers might recognise the Great Wall name from the budget-driven Steed pick-up, but the Chinese company is a big player on the world stage. Indeed, Great Wall is China’s largest SUV and pick-up manufacturer, with year-to-date sales of 310,833.

16. Subaru

Subaru occupies a small niche in the UK, but with sales of 316,783, it’s ranked number 16 in the world. The company is hugely successful in the US, where the number of vehicles in operation has more than doubled in the past six years. Subaru reckons it will have around five million cars on US roads by 2024.

15. Changan

The Chinese state-owned Changan Automobile Group sells cars under the Changan brand and operates joint ventures with Ford, PSA, Mazda and Suzuki. It has sold 394,245 cars in 2019, but was recently forced to recall 19,070 Changan Ford Escorts due to a risk of fire in defective starter motors.

14. Mazda

We’re getting into the big numbers now, with Mazda the last company on the list to record sales of sub 500,000 so far in 2019. The Japanese firm has shifted 484,335, which is 11.7 percent down on the same period in 2018.

13. Geely Group

We recently ran a feature on Geely as it’s probably the biggest automotive brand you haven’t heard of. The Chinese giant – which owns the likes of Volvo, Lotus, Polestar and Proton – has sold 711,150 vehicles in 2019.

12. BMW

With year-to-date sales of 827,050, BMW enjoys a global market share of three percent. This puts it just behind its primary German rival…

11. Daimler

Dieter Zetsche has stepped down from his role of CEO of Daimler AG, with Ola Kaellenius taking the reins. The new CEO said he will cut development costs of new Mercedes cars by a significant amount and will forge new alliances to improve margins. Sales are down 3.9 percent to 848,252.

10. Suzuki

Suzuki Corporation sales are down seven percent to 862,400, with the company losing ground in India and Pakistan. On the plus side, sales are up 30 percent in Mexico.

9. PSA Group

The PSA Group – which includes Peugeot, Citroen, DS, Opel and Vauxhall – has seen sales drop 12.3 percent to 1,154,494. The company is performing well in Spain and Italy, but sales are falling in Iran and China.

8. FCA Group

From a portfolio perspective the FCA Group is huge, featuring the likes of Fiat, Chrysler, Dodge, Ram, Jeep and Alfa Romeo. But 2019 sales are down 6.8 percent to 1,406,670, which means the Renault merger could provide a much needed shot in the arm.

7. Honda Motor

The news at Honda is more positive, with 2019 sales up three percent to 1,573,457. Honda Motor Group also includes the U.S. arm Acura, but its best markets are India and China.

6. Ford Group

Ford sales are down 11.8 percent to 1,622,419, with the company struggling to perform in China and the UK.

5. Hyundai and Kia

Collectively, Hyundai, Kia and Genesis have amassed sales of 2,292,599 in 2019, a fall of 4.2 percent. Hyundai Group is performing well in Saudi Arabia, but has seen a steep decline in sales in China.

4. General Motors

General Motors has seen a woeful 14.8 percent decline in sales in 2019, but with Hyundai failing to capitalise, the American giant retains its fourth spot. GM, which has sold 2,463,971 cars so far, is struggling in China, Canada and Mexico, but performing better in Brazil and South Korea.

3. Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi-Alliance

If this company joins forces with FCA, the combined sales will put it at the top of the global sales chart. For now, it must settle for third, with sales down 6.9 percent to 2,992,471. It’s doing well in the U.S. and Spain, but sales are down in China and Mexico.

2. Toyota Motor Corporation

The Toyota Motor Corporation, which also includes Lexus and Daihatsu, has sold 3,115,343 cars in 2019, an increase of 1.2 percent. Focus2move says the growth is being driven by strong sales in China, Thailand and Saudi Arabia.

1. Volkswagen Group

No prizes for guessing the company at the top of the tree, with the mighty Volkswagen Group shifting 3,296,440 cars in 2019. But it’s not all good news, mind, and with sales down seven percent, there’s nothing to say Toyota won’t overtake VW at some point in 2019. There’s also the FCA and Renault merger to consider…

All figures provided by Focus2move are correct at the time of writing.

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Consumer loyalty card Nectar has moved from long-time partner BP to Esso for awarding fuel-purchase points.The decision has been met with criticism, however, due to controversy about Esso owner ExxonMobil’s policies on climate change.

How to find the cheapest petrol and diesel near you.

As BP severs its 16-year deal with Nectar, Esso is also ending its relationship with Tesco for Clubcard points at its 1,100 sites across the UK.

ExxonMobil continues to face allegations that it deliberately withheld information on climate change in order to maintain public confidence in fossil fuels. The European Union is investigating the company at present.

“Exxon has a shameful history of funding climate change denial – paying for fake science and dangerous lies that have prevented us from taking timely action on climate change and forcing the world into the current climate crisis,” commented Molly Scott Cato, Green MEP for South West England and Gibraltar.

“A completely out-of-touch, backwards step”

Friends of the Earth climate campaigner Rachel Kennerley called the move by Nectar “a completely out-of-touch and backwards step… to be partnering with some of the world’s biggest polluters.”

Fuel loyalty schemes in general, don’t find favour with environmental campaigners, who say that any kind of incentives to consume fossil fuels are inappropriate as we transition to alternative-fuel vehicles.

“Promoting fossil fuels is always deeply irresponsible,” said Paul Prozzo, climate campaigner at Greenpeace.

“If someone poured bleach on your cornflakes, would you care whether it’s Cif or Domestos?”

The Ford Edge large SUV has been withdrawn from the UK market following a big reported slowdown in sales.

The five-seat Land Rover Discovery Sport rival was Ford’s range-topping vehicle, priced from £37,000. However, after selling more than 4,000 units in 2017, volume more than halved in 2018.

Ford dealers have now stopped taking brand-new factory orders for the Edge. Existing orders will still be fulfilled, and remaining Edge stocks will be sold during the rest of 2019.

A Ford spokesman said the decision has been taken in light of the Ford Puma small SUV’s arrival later in 2019.

Puma ordering opens on 26 June “so the overall SUV range remains at three – all compact and medium SUVs”. The Ford Ecosport and Kuga will remain on sale.

The Edge, added the spokesman, will still continue to be sold in seven other European markets. This decision to limit Edge sales “is in line with our strategy aimed at strengthening the Ford brand and creating a sustainably profitable business in Europe”.

This includes “taking action to improve or exit less profitable vehicle lines”.

There are no plans to restrict Edge availability in other markets outside Europe.

When most students celebrate the end of school, they might end up signing yearbooks or going to a prom.

However, the 35 apprentices at the Skoda Vocational School in the Czech Republic did things a little differently by building a bespoke pickup concept from scratch.

Dubbed the ‘Mountiaq’’ by its creators, this special truck has taken an incredible 2,000 hours of work to develop and build.

The men and women of the Vocational School took a Skoda Kodiaq SUV as a starting point, before chopping the roof off to create the custom pickup body.

An all-new cab and load area were custom-built, with hidden storage units beneath the bed floor for extra practicality.

Even the doors had to be shortened and widened to match the new proportions, whilst the apprentices also added bespoke front and rear bumpers.

Designing and making a fully functional tailgate was one of the biggest challenges faced by the students. Yet they have succeeded in making one which looks and operates like it rolled off a production line.

The front-mounted winch is not just for show, and is attached to a specially designed bull bar to withstand the forces of extreme off-road action.

Lifted suspension is combined with 17-inch wheels, the latter wearing rubber which is designed for maximum grip in the dirt. A 2.0 turbocharged petrol engine and four-wheel drive system means it should be able to venture far into the unknown.

Picking the special Sunset Orange paint means there will be no losing the Mountiaq in even the wildest terrain. The hue is almost as bright as the gigantic LED light bar mounted to the roof of the pickup.

More bespoke lighting features throughout, including in the load bed, in the radiator grille, and even with a glowing Skoda logo in the interior headlining.

The special headlining is just one of a number of small hidden details, including an integrated refrigerator, walkie talkies, and 3D printed wheel ornaments.  

Inside the Mountiaq, the students have shown off the new logo they created for the truck, with it stitched into the front seats.

More Sunset Orange is used to highlight key items of trim throughout the interior, including the gear lever and the steering wheel.

The students have also ensured that the Mountiaq sounds as extreme as it looks. Standard 320-watt speakers are now attached to a 2,000-watt subwoofer and a 2,000-watt amplifier.

This special creation marks the sixth time Skoda students have had the chance to build a project car at the end of their studies.

Developing the Student Concept Car is more than just youthful exuberance. All of the students who successfully complete the Vocational School are offered a full-time job with Skoda.

Whilst there may be no plans at present to put the Mountiaq into production, it does at least demonstrate the bright future the Czech company has ahead – not to mention its students…

The 16th Top Marques Monaco supercar show got underway at the weekend, as well-dressed people converged on the Grimaldi Forum to gawp at expensive machinery, jewellery and clothing. If cars like the Ferrari 488 Pista and the FXX-K Evo float your super-expensive gin palace, keep clicking for more photos from the event.

McLaren GT

There were no fewer than six world premieres at this year’s Top Marques Monaco, including the new McLaren GT. Here’s Prince Albert II of Monaco helping to pull the wraps off McLaren’s latest model, while the onlookers reflect on the huge amount of money they have just spent on a coffee and a pain au chocolat.

You know how it is at motor shows, it’s almost impossible to get to the front of the stands to grab a photo to show your 691 fans on Instagram. Oh.

Cap in hand

Top Marques Monaco: where even the baseball caps are expensive. Probably.

Aston Martin DBS Superleggera OHMSS edition

Here’s Prince Albert again, this time pulling what appears to be a bed sheet off the Aston Martin DBS Superleggera On Her Majesty’s Secret Service edition.

Just 50 cars will be built, each one painted Olive Green to match the 1969 Aston Martin DBS driven by James Bond in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. There’s no truth in the rumour that Renault will launch a Megane A View to a Kill edition to honour the Renault 11 driven by Roger Moore in the 1985 film.

Ferox Azaris

In a photo notable for the disappointing absence of a bed sheet, here’s Prince Albert getting to grips with the Ferox Azaris. As Troy Wheeler explains the technology behind the Australian off-roader, the Prince is wondering if it could provide suitable transport for the slopes during the next skiing season.

The Ferox Azaris isn’t your standard off-roader. The working prototype features four in-wheel motors with a volumetric efficiency of up to 98 percent, with power sourced from a combustion engine or an electric motor linked to a fluid pump. Its rocker-style suspension is similar to the system used on the Mars Rover. We suspect Ferox has been inundated with enquiries from Dubai…

L’Atelier du Gentleman Carbon Zero

Away from four, and indeed two, wheels, Prince Albert was on hand to unveil the L’Atelier du Gentleman Carbon Zero motorcycle. The French company is known for its high-end and custom-built bikes.

There might be dragons

Some Game of Thrones fans were disappointed with the final series, but everyone looks happy here. Beneath that dragon, you might find a tiny Daenerys Targaryen, ready to be whisked away into the blue skies above Monte Carlo.

Zacaria SC

Speaking on Stavros969’s YouTube channel, Zac Mihajlovic said the Zacaria SC is an “F1 hotrod that you can drive on the road”. It’s powered by a Ferrari 6.3-litre V12 engine, “so that it sounds like F1 cars from the glory days”. Amazingly, it comes with a lifetime guarantee. Beat that, Kia.

Devinci Cars

Devinci is a French car manufacturer established in 2018 to “create a brand of electric vehicles with a retro look”. The DB-718 is produced in three versions: the 100-off Brigitte, the 95-off Lucie, and the most exclusive of all, the five-off Adele.

Rolls-Royce Wraith Eagle VIII

This is a pretty good candidate for the perfect two-car garage. The Rolls-Royce Wraith Eagle VIII was unveiled at this year’s Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, and just 50 units will be produced. The limited edition commemorates the 100th anniversary of the first non-stop transatlantic flight.

Stajvelo Beau Rivage

The Stajvelo Beau Rivage is a performance road bike built in Monaco using an Italian carbon composite frame. We suspect it’s the quickest way to get through Monaco during the morning commute.

Militem Ferox

Militem takes cars built by American brands Jeep and Ram and gives them an Italian twist. The Ferox is based on the Wrangler and features a suspension lift, 20-inch Black Edition alloy wheels, a redesigned front bumper, double stainless steel sports tailpipe and a host of other upgrades. It’s very Monaco, baby. Keep clicking for more photos from this year’s event.