Last month, 23,576 new Nissans were delivered, giving the company a market share of 5.4%, representing a 6.4% increase over the same month in 2012.

Sales of the 100% electric Nissan LEAF went up by 38% over the same period last year, cementing its position as the UK’s best-selling 100% electric vehicle according to the firm.

The announcement comes as a new LEAF goes on sale. Developed and engineered specifically for the European market, the latest model is now built at Nissan's Sunderland facility and features new technologies designed to offer improved real-world battery efficiency and a host of detail enhancements to make life even easier.

Jim Wright, managing director of Nissan (GB), added: ‘We are looking forward to the exciting new products we have coming in the next 12 months including the new LEAF and NOTE which will be built at our fantastic plant in Sunderland.