New car sales in the UK in April 2015 rose to a 10-year high, with buyers pushing demand up to 185,778 for the month – the most for April since 2005.

The rise in sales is part of a long trend, because registrations have risen for 38 consecutive months. Sales for the year to date are also up by 6.4% compared to 2014, reaching 920,366 for 2015 so far.

Industry body, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) attributed the spike in sales in part to the general election, which has traditionally caused an increase in new-car registrations. The SMMT says this has happened in six of the past nine elections, although this is the first time since it has happened since 2001.

The Ford Fiesta remained in the top spot, with 10,294 sales in April. This set it far ahead from the second most popular model, the larger Ford Focus, which accounted for 6347 registrations. The Volkswagen Golf completes the top three, with 5,354 sales.

The SMMT’s chief executive, Mike Hawes, said that this success is set to continue in the short term at least. “We are confident that the UK’s new car market – so symbolic of economic mood – will continue to thrive,” he said. “But long-term success will depend largely on economic and political stability in the months and years ahead.”

The UK’s best-selling cars in April 2015

1. Ford Fiesta - 10,294 units registered

2. Ford Focus – 6,347

3. Volkswagen Golf – 5,354

4. Vauxhall Corsa – 4,951

5. Nissan Qashqai – 4,697

6. Volkswagen Polo – 4,674

7. Audi A3 – 3,981

8. Vaushall Astra – 3,613

9. Mercedes-Benz C-class – 3,351

10. Mini Hatch – 3,000