According to car history experts Motorcheck.ie, some 37,000 units were registered in the first month of 2018, of which 4,500 units were registered on the last day of January.
Diesel power showed a 17pc decrease, and petrol engines as choice increased by 13pc. Hybrid engine cars surged, with an increase of 75pc. Electric car sales were down, likely pending the arrival of the new generation Nissan Leaf later this month.
Used imports continued to grow, showing a 20pc increase on last year, and diesel imports are up by 17pc as UK drivers leave that market in advance of bans on diesel passenger cars coming down the road.
Light commercial vehicles are up by 6pc with 6,700 units registered.
The top selling manufacturers were Toyota, Hyundai, Ford, Volkswagen and Nissan, while the top selling models were the Hyundai Tucson, Nissan Qashqai, Ford Focus, Volkswagen Golf and Ford Fiesta.
