But for those with a keener eye, for those who truly appreciated the nuances of the automotive landscape, a different story was unfolding.

The sun beat down on the winding roads of Kerry, the end of May marking a busy time for the car dealerships.

Orders for the ubiquitous Hyundai Tucsons and Kia Sportages, as evidenced the constant rumble of their engines on the Ring of Kerry.

But for those with a keener eye, for those who truly appreciated the nuances of the automotive landscape, a different story was unfolding.

Sergeant Murphy, finishing his last coffee at the station, often found himself observing the comings and goings. He knew the roads of Kerry like the back of his hand, and the cars on them even better. He’d seen all the popular models, the ones that kept the economy humming. But his real interest lay in the outliers, the lone wolves of the tarmac.

He’d noted, for instance, that a sole Lexus RX had appeared in Kenmare – just one, a quiet statement of individuality amidst the more common SUVs. Over near Dingle, a single Land Rover Range Rover Sport had been registered, its imposing presence a stark contrast to the small village lanes.

Murphy recalled seeing a solitary Audi Q6 e-tron glide silently through Tralee, a whisper of the future in a county still fond of internal combustion. He even remembered the brief sighting of a single Seat Ibiza, a car more often found in bustling cityscapes than the rural roads of Kerry.

The list in his hand, fresh from the registration office, confirmed his observations. The Toyota Prius Hybrid, a car once lauded for its innovation, now appeared as a solitary unit. A Mercedes-Benz CLE Coupe, all sleek lines and understated luxury, had also registered just once. Even a humble Fiat Panda, a car that seemed destined for every small town, had only one unit recorded.

He smiled, a flicker of amusement crossing his face as he scanned down the list. The Citroen Ami, a quirky electric vehicle, had also made its single mark on the Kerry roads. And then there were the truly unique, the ones that made him wonder about their owners: the Audi Q4 e-tron, the Polestar 2, the Mercedes-Benz A-Class, BMW 3 Series, Opel Combo Pass, Mini Countryman, Mercedes-Benz CLA Class, BMW X2, Mercedes-Benz EQS, Audi A6 e-tron, Volkswagen Touareg, Honda CR-V, Mercedes-Benz S Class, Mercedes-Benz C Class, Seat Leon, Volkswagen ID.5, Lexus UX, Cupra Leon SP, Citroen C5 X, and the Mercedes-Benz GLE Class – all accounted for by just one unit each.

These weren’t the workhorses of Kerry, nor the trendy new SUVs. These were the anomalies, the rare sightings that made the daily drive a little more interesting for Sergeant Murphy. They were the stories without words, each one a testament to an individual choice, a desire to stand out, or perhaps just a very specific need. Up to the end of May, these single units were the true gems of the Kerry roads, the silent, rolling secrets known only to those who paid close attention.

Rank Make Model 2025 Units
1 HYUNDAI TUCSON 119
2 KIA SPORTAGE 73
3 TOYOTA YARIS CROSS 56
4 TOYOTA RAV 4 53
5 VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN 42
6 VOLKSWAGEN T-ROC 42
7 TOYOTA COROLLA CROSS 39
8 DACIA SANDERO 39
9 SKODA OCTAVIA 38
10 PEUGEOT 3008 37
11 HYUNDAI KONA 35
12 SKODA KODIAQ 33
13 DACIA DUSTER 33
14 VOLKSWAGEN T-CROSS 30
15 TOYOTA C-HR 29
16 FORD PUMA 28
17 PEUGEOT 5008 26
18 TOYOTA COROLLA 24
19 KIA NIRO 22
20 KIA EV3 22
21 PEUGEOT 2008 21
22 KIA EV6 21
23 SKODA KAMIQ 21
24 VOLKSWAGEN ID.4 20
25 HYUNDAI I20 20
26 TOYOTA YARIS 19
27 NISSAN QASHQAI 18
28 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF 17
29 FORD KUGA 17
30 SKODA KAROQ 16
31 KIA STONIC 16
32 BMW X1 16
33 FORD FOCUS 16
34 BMW 5 SERIES 16
35 BYD SEAL U 16
36 KIA CEE’D 15
37 RENAULT SYMBIOZ 15
38 SKODA SUPERB 15
39 OPEL MOKKA 13
40 NISSAN JUKE 12
41 AUDI Q3 11
42 VOLVO EX30 11
43 NISSAN X-TRAIL 11
44 TOYOTA AYGO 10
45 BMW X5 10
46 VOLKSWAGEN POLO 10
47 KIA SORENTO 10
48 FORD EXPLORER 9
49 SUZUKI SX4 9
50 BMW X3 9
51 FORD TOURNEO PASS 9
52 SKODA SCALA 8
53 KIA PICANTO 8
54 SUZUKI VITARA 8
55 TESLA MODEL 3 8
56 SKODA ELROQ 8
57 CITROEN C4 7
58 SUZUKI SWIFT 7
59 BYD SEAL 7
60 SKODA FABIA 7
61 NISSAN LEAF 6
62 HYUNDAI SANTA FE 6
63 VOLKSWAGEN ID.7 6
64 FIAT 600 6
65 RENAULT ARKANA 6
66 AUDI A3 6
67 KIA EV9 6
68 RENAULT CLIO 5
69 DACIA JOGGER 5
70 HYUNDAI BAYON 5
71 VOLVO XC90 5
72 VOLVO XC60 5
73 HYUNDAI I30 5
74 OPEL CORSA 5
75 VOLKSWAGEN ID.3 5
76 BYD DOLPHIN 5
77 MG ZS 4
78 HYUNDAI IONIQ 5 4
79 RENAULT AUSTRAL 4
80 CITROEN C5 AIRCROSS 4
81 SKODA ENYAQ 4
82 HYUNDAI I10 4
83 SUZUKI S CROSS 4
84 MERCEDES-BENZ E CLASS 4
85 MG MG4 4
86 BYD ATTO 3 4
87 HYUNDAI INSTER 4
88 SUZUKI IGNIS 3
89 VOLVO XC40 3
90 LEXUS NX 3
91 CUPRA FORMENTOR 3
92 RENAULT CAPTUR 3
93 SEAT ATECA 3
94 TESLA MODEL Y 3
95 NISSAN ARIYA 3
96 CITROEN BERLINGO PASS 3
97 AUDI Q2 3
98 VOLKSWAGEN TAIGO 3
99 OPEL GRANDLAND X 3
100 OPEL ASTRA 3
101 TOYOTA BZ4X 3
102 VOLKSWAGEN T7 3
103 RENAULT SCENIC 3
104 BMW IX1 3
105 MERCEDES-BENZ V CLASS 3
106 VOLKSWAGEN TAYRON 3
107 PEUGEOT 408 3
108 BYD SEALION 3
109 AUDI Q7 2
110 PEUGEOT RIFTER 2
111 MERCEDES-BENZ GLA CLASS 2
112 AUDI Q5 2
113 DACIA SPRING 2
114 FORD CAPRI 2
115 HYUNDAI IONIQ 6 2
116 FORD UNIDENTIFIED 2
117 FIAT 500 2
118 VOLVO EX40 2
119 DS DS7 2
120 AUDI A5 2
121 PEUGEOT 208 2
122 MAZDA MAZDA3 2
123 RENAULT MEGANE 2
124 BMW 2 SERIES 2
125 SEAT ARONA 2
126 AUDI Q8 2
127 RENAULT RENAULT 5 2
128 DACIA BIGSTER 2
129 MERCEDES-BENZ GLB 2
130 LEXUS RX 1
131 LAND ROVER RANGE ROVER SPORT RA 1
132 AUDI Q6 E-TRON 1
133 SEAT IBIZA 1
134 CITROEN EC4X 1
135 JEEP AVENGER 1
136 VOLKSWAGEN E GOLF 1
137 AUDI A1 1
138 AUDI A6 1
139 TOYOTA PRIUS HYBRID 1
140 MERCEDES-BENZ CLE COUPE 1
141 DS DS4 1
142 SUZUKI SWACE 1
143 FIAT PANDA 1
144 CITROEN AMI 1
145 AUDI Q4 ETRON 1
146 POLESTAR POLESTAR 2 1
147 MERCEDES-BENZ A CLASS 1
148 BMW 3 SERIES 1
149 OPEL COMBO PASS 1
150 MINI MINI COUNTRYMAN 1
151 MERCEDES-BENZ CLA CLASS 1
152 BMW X2 1
153 MERCEDES-BENZ EQS 1
154 AUDI A6 E-TRON 1
155 VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREG 1
156 HONDA CR-V 1
157 MERCEDES-BENZ S CLASS 1
158 MERCEDES-BENZ C CLASS 1
159 SEAT LEON 1
160 VOLKSWAGEN ID.5 1
161 LEXUS UX 1
162 CUPRA LEON SP 1
163 CITROEN C5 X 1
164 MERCEDES-BENZ GLE CLASS 1

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