Best-selling cars 2024: the UK’s top 10 most popular models
These are the country’s most popular cars of the year so far, but which is in pole position?
April 2024 was the 21st consecutive month of growth for the UK’s new-car market, with overall registrations increasing by one per cent year-on-year. 134,724 new cars hit the road in April, and plenty of familiar names have continued their run in the top 10 of the UK’s best-selling cars chart.
There are some causes for concern among carmakers, though. Overall registrations were still down by over 16 per cent compared to pre-pandemic levels, while demand from private buyers also fell by 17.7 per cent compared to March. April’s growth was driven entirely by fleets.
It’s a similar story with battery-electric vehicles (BEVs), too, as private retail purchases continued to take a downwards trajectory. Demand from businesses has boosted the overall BEV market share to 16.9 per cent, though.
When it comes to the best-selling cars themselves, the Ford Puma is still holding firm at the top of the UK’s best-seller charts, with the Nissan Qashqai and Kia Sportage still trying but failing to beat it. There’s plenty of demand for German hatchbacks, too, with the BMW 1 Series, Audi A3 and Volkswagen Golf all continuing their runs as regular sights on this list.
Top 10 best-selling cars 2024
Without further ado, here are the UK’s official best-selling cars of 2024 so far, according to data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
10. MINI - 11,067
An all-new model is imminent, but buyers are still snapping up the existing MINI in droves. It’s a well-built car that offers plenty of the retro charm of the original, as well as the affordability, but it’s been a while since we’ve seen a MINI at the top end of this list. Perhaps the new version will be the car to change that.
9. Volkswagen T-Roc - 11,096
Many people see the Volkswagen Golf as a staple of the hatchback world but, in today’s market, many buyers prefer SUVs. This is where the T-Roc comes in, this small SUV shares the same underpinnings as the Golf, so owners essentially get the best of both worlds. It’s still good to drive and running costs are reasonable, but it has more presence on the road and there’s more room inside.
8. MG HS - 12,101
After a brief stint as the UK’s best-selling car in January 2023, the MG HS is still doing its part to bring the iconic octagonal badge back into the mainstream. This family-oriented SUV is one of the older members of MG’s line-up, but it still carries a starting price that’s lower than most of the competition at under £25,000. It’s a hit with budget-conscious buyers as a result.
7. BMW 1 Series - 12,210
This list may be heavily populated with SUVs, but there’s still room for a premium hatchback. The BMW 1 Series offers all of the driver engagement and quality that you’d expect, but wraps it up in a more compact yet highly practical body. It’s pretty easy to see why it’s proving so popular.
6. Volkswagen Golf - 12,651
The latest Volkswagen Golf has been met with its fair share of criticism, with VW customers being deterred by oversights such as an infuriating lack of physical controls and backlighting. However, the brand has set out to right many of its wrongs with the updated Mk8.5 model, and these corrections appear to be improving the Golf’s reputation at long last.
5. Nissan Juke - 13,070
Much like the larger Qashqai, the Nissan Juke enjoys a pretty constant stream of sales. This funky crossover is undoubtedly one of the more distinctive models in this area of the market. A mid-life facelift has given the Juke a new lease of life, but it’s still struggling to top the mighty Ford Puma when it comes to outright appeal.
4. Audi A3 - 13,503
Edging just ahead of its rival, the 1 Series, the Audi A3 is the second premium hatchback to appear on this list. The BMW is a bit more fun to drive, but the Audi boasts plenty of luxury and tech for a car of its size, and it’s well suited to use as a family car, too. UK buyers are clearly still fans of the big German brands, but it would seem their compact executive saloons are no longer the models of choice for the mass market.
3. Kia Sportage - 15,824
The fifth-generation Kia Sportage has been a regular sight on this list since it launched in 2021, and it seems that it’s only increasing in popularity. With its distinctive styling, technology that’s bang up-to-date and overall quality feel, the latest Sportage is worlds apart from its predecessors. In fact, we think it’s one of the best mid-size SUVs to buy right now.
2. Nissan Qashqai - 17,050
2022’s British-built best-seller is still a firm favourite, and the Nissan Qashqai is continuing to pester the car that defeated it in 2023, the Ford Puma. An all-electric variant is due to arrive very soon, so this could bring in swathes of buyers who are searching for a zero-emission family car. The electric SUV competition is fierce, though, so Nissan will need to get the price just right.
1. Ford Puma - 19,393
The Ford Puma was the nation’s best-seller in 2023, and things are certainly looking very bright for it in 2024, too. Although anything can happen in the motoring world, the Fiesta-based small SUV has now stood firmly in first place for several months. A fully-electric Puma is due to arrive later this year, too, which is likely to help bring a further boost to the small SUV’s impressive performance.
The UK’s best-selling cars 2024
- Ford Puma
- Nissan Qashqai
- Kia Sportage
- Audi A3
- Nissan Juke
- Volkswagen Golf
- BMW 1 Series
- MG HS
- Volkswagen T-Roc
- MINI
Sales vs registrations: inside the numbers
There’s an important distinction to be made where the UK’s monthly and annual car sales numbers are concerned. Namely, that they don’t actually count the number of cars sold in the sense that many people might imagine. The numbers provided by the SMMT are for car ‘registrations’ rather than being sales figures.
When customers buy a new car it is registered before it can be driven on the road but cars are also registered by manufacturers and dealers before they have a customer to go to. This practice of processing pre-registered cars is done for various reasons but often the goal is to move stock through the supply chain, avoiding bottlenecks or to hit targets. It means that a significant proportion of the cars in the ‘sales’ figures could be pre-registered and estimates range from between 10 and 20 per cent.
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