UK's best-selling cars revealed
UK new car sales jumped by 9.5% in November to reach near pre-pandemic levels, with Ford (F) holding on to the best-seller title.
Some 156,525 new cars were registered last month, up from 142,889 in November 2022, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said. The latest total was just 0.1% below pre-pandemic levels.
The Ford Puma was November’s best-seller with 4,298 registrations, and it looks set to take the title of the UK’s best selling new car in 2023 as it leads that board with 46,434 sales year-to-date.
The Vauxhall Corsa was the second best selling car last month with 4,185 cars hitting the roads and the Nissan (7201.T) Qashqai was third with 4,116.
The Mini was number four on this list, with 3,528 units sold, followed by the Ford Kuga, with 3,202 registrations.
The Kia Sportage (3,045), Vauxhall Mokka (2,917), MG HS (2,734), Volkswagen (VOW3.DE) Golf (2,733) and the Audi A3 (2,726) complete the top 10 best sellers in November.
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SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes said: “Britain’s new car market continues to recover, fuelled by fleets investing in the latest and greenest new vehicles.”
Growth was driven by fleets investing in new cars, with registrations rising 25.4%. Demand from private buyers and businesses fell by 5.9% and 32.7% respectively.
The market share of pure battery electric new cars last month was 15.6%, down from 20.6% a year ago when sales surged due to a large number of deliveries.
Jon Lawes, managing director at Novuna Vehicle Solutions, one of the UK’s largest fleet operators, said: “The £2bn announced in the Autumn Statement to aid zero-emission vehicle manufacturing, combined with the UK’s first ever battery strategy and a promised consultation on fast-tracking charging infrastructure, have all been encouraging steps for the UK’s EV transition.
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“However, the OBR is still predicting a dramatic fall in EV uptake and with the clock ticking on incoming tariffs, this poses a threat to UK vehicle manufacturing and undermines the commitments in last week’s budget.”
The SMMT previously estimated the tariffs could result in an average price rise of £3,400 on EU-manufactured pure battery electric vehicles bought in the UK.
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