Top 10 Best-Selling Cars In The UK 2022
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| Top 10 Best-selling Cars In The UK |
The UK's new car market has recorded a strong start to 2022, with 115,087 new cars being sold in January, according to official figures. The latest numbers reveal that sales were up 27.5% on January 2021, when just 90,249 new cars were sold while coronavirus lockdown restrictions were still in place.
However, sales were still 22.5% lower than the pre-pandemic level, which is largely a result of reduced vehicle production and longer waiting times resulting from the ongoing semiconductor chip shortage. More positively, the new car market started to show signs of recovery, with sales of new electric cars helping to boost growth. 14,433 electric cars were sold in January, representing 12.5% of the new car market – an increase of 130.6% in the same period in 2021.
Other electrified vehicles, such as hybrids and plug-in hybrids, also showed significant growth, with 13,492 and 9407 being sold respectively – an increase of 98.1% and 47.3%.
In total, electrified vehicles represented 32.1% of the total, with almost one in three new cars being electrified in some form.
On the other hand, diesel car sales continued to show signs of decline with just 11,740 being sold in total – 10.2% of the market. In comparison, in January 2017, diesel represented 45.1% of the market.
As a whole, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) forecasts that the new car market in 2022 is on course for 1.897m new cars to be sold this year – up 15.2% on 2021 but still down 17.9% on pre-pandemic levels in 2019.
But what were the UK's most popular cars? Below we count down the top 10 best-sellers.
What are the 10 best-selling cars in the UK?
1. Vauxhall Corsa
2. Tesla Model 3
3. Mini
4. Mercedes-Benz A-Class
5. Volkswagen Polo
6. Volkswagen Golf
7. Nissan Qashqai
8. Ford Puma
9. Kia Sportage
10. Toyota Yaris
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Top 10 best-selling cars in the UK
1. Vauxhall Corsa
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| Photo: autoexpress |
2021 registrations: 40,914
2020 ranking: 2nd (up 1 place)
Price: from £17,380
The Corsa has a bit to go before it catches up with the Ford Fiesta in terms of sales but Vauxhall has put in the work to make sure its supermini can go the distance with its arch-rival. It relaunched in 2020 with good looks and new powertrains, including a pure-electric option for the first time, which has a very respectable 208-mile range between charges. It seems to be working, with Vauxhall topping the bestseller list at some points last year and slowly making up the gap to the omnipresent Fiesta.
The Corsa even managed to impress notorious Vauxhall-phobe Jeremy Clarkson, who found the new model to be “peppier and more eager” than one of its other competitors, the Renault Clio. The Corsa, he said, provided endless hours of joy to the bored 18-year old daughter of his girlfriend, Lisa, during the first coronavirus lockdown.
“She will certainly be the first person in human history to say that her only true happiness for a long time was a brown 1.2-liter Vauxhall Corsa,” he said.
2. Tesla Model 3
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| Photo: auto5 |
2021 registrations: 34,783
2020 ranking: 14th (up 12 places)
Price: from £42,990
With a near-ideal blend of performance, driving range, and accessible pricing, the 2022 Tesla Model 3 is an electric vehicle that lives up to the hype. It's fast—especially the Performance trim—and it's agile, which means the Model 3 is an EV that driving enthusiasts like us can get behind. The driving range is an impressive 358 miles per charge on the mid-level Long Range trim, so it's not necessary to charge the Model 3 every day. Its attractive entry price doesn't unlock the Model 3's full potential, though, and its fit and finish don't quite match alternatives such as the Chevy Bolt and Ford Mustang Mach E. Still, there's no more inexpensive way to park one of Tesla's groundbreaking EVs in your driveway.
As with most EVs, the Model 3 gains speed smoothly and almost silently, with the electric motor providing strong power from a stop. And it's fast—extremely so in some trims. The rear-wheel-drive Long Range model we tested sprinted from zero to 60 mph in 5.1 seconds. The Model 3 Performance rockets to 60 mph in just 3.5 seconds—0.5-second faster than our long-term Model 3 Long Range. Like all Teslas, the Model 3 carries its battery under the floor, resulting in a low center of gravity. This helps it change direction crisply and feel planted and stable in corners. The steering is accurate and well-weighted, with three different settings that adjust the level of steering effort. The ride is firm without being harsh; without the noise of a gas-powered engine, however, you do hear plenty of noise inside the cabin as the tires thwack and thrum over pavement imperfections.
3. Mini Hatchback
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| Photo: carmudi |
2021 registrations: 31,792
2020 ranking: 7th (up 4 places)
Price: from £17,405
Since the MINI was resurrected in the early 2000s, it has traded on its characterful, retro design, customization options, and what is often described – both by MINI itself and by those who drive its cars – as ‘go-kart handling.
The latest MINI was introduced in 2014 and has all of these characteristics and more, including a high-quality interior, more interior space than ever before, and a line-up of efficient yet powerful engines. A facelift for 2018 has kept the styling and handling broadly the same but has added improved technology and novel features, such as Union Flag rear lights, as well as extra personalization options.
Another update came in April 2021 to coincide with the 20th anniversary of the first ‘new’ MINI rolling off the Oxford production line. The grille is much bigger and features a black surround, and the fog lights have made way for vents to cool the brakes. New paint colors and wheels are available, as well as a new Multitone roof that shifts from blue to black. MINI also fitted an upgraded infotainment system and introduced a heated steering wheel to the options list.
4. Mercedes-Benz A-Class
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| Photo: songmoi |
2021 registrations: 30,710
2020 ranking: 5th (up 1 place)
Price: from £25,975
The latest Mercedes A-Class is the fourth generation of Mercedes’ smallest car. While the first two examples took on a mini-MPV design direction (with clever, if not particularly desirable, results), the most recent pair have gone for a more conventional five-door hatchback shape in order to compete directly with the BMW 1 Series and Audi A3. The A-Class is an important model for Mercedes: available as a five-door hatchback and four-door saloon in the UK, it’s the brand’s biggest seller. As with the third-generation model, spin-offs from the same platform are available - including the four-door coupe CLA and GLA mini-SUV).
Mercedes has pared back the available trim levels for the A-Class to now include Sport, Sports Executive, AMG Line Executive, AMG Line Premium, and AMG Line Premium Plus. All models include cruise control, heated seats, and dual-zone climate control, although the entry Sport version makes do with smaller 17-inch alloys, compared to the standard 18-inch wheels (of differing design) across the rest of the range.
Opting for the cheapest A-Class also means you'll have to forego the larger 10.25-inch media screen included with higher-grade trims, although the Sport's 7.0-inch touchscreen still runs the same MBUX multimedia system as other models.
5. Volkswagen Polo
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| Photo: danhgiaxe |
2021 registrations: 30,634
2020 ranking: 8th (up 3 places)
Price: from £18,285
Volkswagen first introduced the Polo back in 1996 as a small, city-based hatch, meant to fill the hole left by the growing Golf.
Since then, it's gone through four generations, with more modern features and sharper pricing that starts off at $19,290 with the Polo 70TSI Trendline, the city-friendly, five-door hatchback is able to keep up with its rivals. With a range of small, turbocharged engines, the Polo offers stronger performance than the city cars of old as well.
No matter which Volkswagen Polo you choose, from entry-level Life to the rapid GTI, you're getting one of the classiest superminis for sale in the UK today. The sixth generation arrived in 2018, and it brought with it a step up in quality over the old car, as well as a range of efficient engines and some of the latest tech from the larger Golf.
6. Volkswagen Golf
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| Photo: baogiaothong |
2021 registrations: 30,240
2020 ranking: 3rd (down 3 places)
Price: from £24,430
Few cars have had the impact of the Volkswagen Golf. With worldwide sales in excess of 30 million, it's fair to say that VW's small-sized hatch is a pretty big deal.
Introduced in Australia in 1976 as a replacement for the classic Beetle, the Golf has undergone a series of growth spurts and facelifts to stay up-to-date and remain a viable option for Australian families. The Golf pulls off a neat trick – it's big enough to seat four in comfort but small enough to park with ease. It's reserved enough to not draw attention, but classy enough that you don't feel short-changed at traffic lights. It's quiet enough to sit all day at freeway speeds, and interesting enough when you turn onto a back road. The Golf 110TSI starts at $32,150 up to $53,300 for the Golf GTI and is available as everything from a city-bound hatchback to snarling GTI and R performance versions.
Volkswagen has essentially turned the regular Golf into a one-size-fits-all shopping experience. The only tough decision buyers face is whether to stick with the standard manual transmission or spend an extra $800 on the optional eight-speed automatic. Those who don't know how to play the three-pedal shuffle will obviously choose the latter, but people who want maximum engagement will appreciate the manual. Other than that and a handful of dealer-installed accessories, the Golf is easy to outfit.
7. Nissan Qashqai
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| Photo: otosaigon |
2021 registrations: 29,992
2020 ranking: 6th (down 1 place)
Price: from £24,555
Nissan’s Qashqai has been on the scene for longer than you might think.
Originally sold in Australia as the exceptionally popular Dualis, the small SUV returned for a second generation, a range refresh, and a new name in 2014, to line up with Nissan’s international naming conventions.
Available as both a front and all-wheel-drive SUV, Qashqai customers can also choose between manual and constantly variable automatic transmissions, hooked up to a choice of petrol or turbodiesel engines, as well as a series of trim levels from the basic city runabout to more luxurious, family-oriented versions.
Current prices range from $28,590 to $39,090 for the Qashqai ST and Qashqai TI.
This vehicle is also known as Nissan Dualis (Japan and Australia, 1st gen.), Nissan Rogue Sport (the United States, 2nd gen.).
8. Ford Puma
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| Photo: songmoi |
2021 registrations: 28,697
2020 ranking: 9th (up 1 place)
Price: from £22,885
In almost every sense, then, the Ford Puma is one of the best cars you can buy today. It’s Ford’s latest compact SUV, which effectively banishes the poor old EcoSport to the shadows. Pitched as a car that can turn heads on a Friday night, fit flat-pack furniture with ease on Saturday afternoon and provide an enjoyable drive on a Sunday morning, the Puma does it all.
The Puma is a rival to cars like the Renault Captur, Peugeot 2008, and Volkswagen T-Cross. Small SUVs and crossovers are immensely popular and the Puma looks set to be a particularly sought-after choice in the UK – not long after launch it leaped into the best-selling charts and has stayed there since.
Those who remember the original Puma may be confused by the badge. While the old car was a compact coupe, this one’s resolutely an SUV – but both models are based on the same underpinnings as the Fiesta supermini. This time around, it’s a substantially larger vehicle – longer, wider and taller, but it retains the fun-to-drive character of its predecessor.
9. Kia Sportage
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| Photo: thanhnienviet |
2021 registrations: 27,611
2020 ranking: 16th (up 7 places)
Price: from £26,745 (2022 model)
The Sportage has always been a relatively popular family SUV in the UK, taking sixteenth spot overall in 2020. The rise to the ninth spot last year is likely due to cars being available to buy.
That's because an all-new Sportage hits the market in 2022, meaning dealers would have been shifting the remaining stock of previous-generation examples.
Why is it so attractive to buyers in Britain? Firstly, it is competitively priced - and that's before you take into account any discounts with dealerships looking to make space in their showrooms for the arrival of the 2022 model.
But it is also packed with loads of equipment and is sold with Kia's long-lasting seven-year warranty.
10. Toyota Yaris
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| Photo: vnexpress |
2021 registrations: 27,415
2020 ranking: 15th (up 5 places)
Price: from £20,210
The all-new Yaris was named 2021 European Car of the Year and picked up a number of different accolades last year, also boosted by the huge popularity of the GR Yaris rally-inspired hot hatch.
Glowing recommendations weren't what entirely drove the Japanese supermini to tenth spot in the overall sales standings.
Toyota was one of the brands that best managed the semiconductor chip shortage last year, having stockpiled the essential parts. However, in August it was hit by supply issues, with the company forced to suspend production during September. Still, the impressive small car racked up enough sales to scrape into the top 10.
Toyota's impressive management of the chip shortage also saw it become the best-selling carmaker in the United States, dethroning General Motors, which had held the crown as US's favorite brand every year since 1931.
NATION'S BEST-SELLING VEHICLE OVERALL IN 2021: Ford Transit Custom van2021 registrations: 53,394 2020 ranking: Behind Vauxhall Corsa and Ford Fiesta (up 2 places) Price: from £28,825 (excl VAT) That's right, the best-selling new motor in the UK last year wasn't a car but a van. A total of around 355,000 vans sold in 2021 – up 21 percent in 2020 and only two percent down in 2019. Ford's Transit Custom topped the commercial vehicle sales charts, amassing 53,394 registrations, which is more than any car model last year and 12,480 units ahead of the Vauxhall Corsa. Industry insiders claim the rise in demand for vans due to the increasing reliance on deliveries during the pandemic saw Ford prioritize its semiconductor availability to its commercial vehicles. For those manufacturers that build them, vans also offer stronger profit margins than passenger cars because they are less expensive to produce. It also explains why the two-tonne Transit also sold in massive numbers last year with 34,923 registrations - enough to place ahead of the Mini Hatchback in the list above. |
