Meanwhile Audi, whose sales to daily rental companies have risen by a third year-on-year, to 2,516, suffered a 10% loss in sales to leasing companies, equivalent to 1,056 units. However, this has been partially offset by an 8.6% rise in its end user direct sales which have increased by 621 units to 7,835.

This comes on the back of a 2012 rise in rental business, although Audi fleet director James Douglas says this was a planned rise driven by the run out of the A3. All rental business is on buy-back with a structured remarketing plan through the dealer network and he is confident there will be no impact on residual values.

“We will do more rental in 2013 and in 2011, but less than in 2012,” he said. “But my remit is to increase sales in true fleet: we want to grow in each product segment and in each segment within true fleet.”

Hyundai continues to push more cars into the rental market (up 65% - now accounting for 40% of its fleet volume) as well as Motability, which increased 172%, from 394 units to 1,074. However, its true fleet sales fell by 19%/1,174 units.

In contrast, sister company Kia has pulled back from rental in the first quarter, reducing sales by 13%. Kia also reduced Motability sales by a quarter, but its true fleet sales rose by almost 65% to 4,963.

Elsewhere, other notable rental rises included Nissan, whose volume is up by 178% to 1,869. However, rental accounts for less than 9% of its business, compared to a sector average of 25% and sales director Jon Pollock says he focusing is on ensuring the mix doesn’t exceed this market average.

Pollock also anticipates that Motability sales will reduce this year, although in the first quarter the company increased volumes by almost 9% to 6,968 in a static sector.

He said: “This year we will do slightly less Motability and short-cycle will come back a bit as well. It will probably be around 10% of our sales mix.”

For true fleet, Nissan’s sales rose 23%, largely thanks to a big rise in small business registrations.

Seat, Skoda and Volkswagen each pulled back from rental in first quarter after big increases during course of 2012.

In Volkswagen case, volumes were reduced by quarter to 5,850; this time last year its rental sales had risen by more than 80%. That accounts for 21% of its fleet volume.

Two big winners in the true fleet sector (sales to leasing companies and end user fleets) were Seat, up 31% to 2,796, and Citroen, up 32% to 6,662.

Volkswagen has re-taken the top spot in true fleet, despite an 8% fall in registrations to 16,896, primarily on the back of leasing/contract hire sales. It replaces Ford which drops to third after a 23% reduction to 13,217.

Sandwiched between is Vauxhall which, for a spell at the back end of 2012, was tracking in first place.

James Taylor, Vauxhall fleet director, has publicly declared his aspiration to become the No1 brand in true fleet within three years. “We want to be number one for the calendar year. That’s our vision, within three years when some of our core product is replaced,” he said.

However, he’ll have a fight on his hands: Ford is confident of regaining its market leadership, while Volkswagen is keen to stay at the top of the pile.

Phil Hollins, Ford director of fleet operations, told Fleet News that supply problems at its plant in Genk hit sales of Mondeo in the first quarter, while a lack of focus on forward orders exacerbated the hole in its true fleet figures.

“We are now looking strong on net fleet orders but at the start of the year it wasn’t like that,” he said. “We see our share of true fleet rising in a flat market.”