The UK overtook Germany last year as Suzuki’s largest European market with record sales of 37,400, almost 20% of the total of 200,000 across the region.

Ed Norman, product manager at Suzuki GB, said sales jumped 13% in the UK over 2013 and the Japanese brand sold 200 vehicles more than in its previous record year in 2004.

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Of last year’s sales, 27,327 were to private buyers although Norman added that, with new models coming through, Suzuki would be looking to build its fleet business.

Norman was speaking at the UK launch of the Celerio A-segment model which will replace both the Alto and Splash in a market sector which has more than doubled in size in the country since 2006 to nearly 219,000 vehicles last year.

Corporate sales chief Andrew Wale said that improved residual values on Suzuki cars would help push fleet sales although the brand would not be pursuing high discount daily rental business.

He added: “We will look to increase with motability and contract hire while we will also be pushing our cars at bodyshops as temporary replacements for vehicles off the road.”

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The new Celerio goes into UK showrooms at the beginning of February with plans to sell around 6,000 models this year. It is introduced with a three-cylinder, one-litre engine although a dual-jet version of this will be added in April with lower emissions (84g/km vs 99g/km) and improved fuel consumption (78mpg vs 65mpg) but will carry a still to be decided price premium over the standard model which costs GBP7,999 (US$12,100)

Celerio models for the UK and the rest of Europe are manufactured at Suzuki’s Rayong factory in Thailand which opened in March 2012 and is the second production hub for the car following its introduction in India in January 2014.

Celerio production began for Thailand in June last year followed in October with production for Europe. The Celerio had its world premiere at the 2014 Delhi Auto Expo with Maruti Suzuki production at the Manesar plant commencing soon after.