The UK is a nation of drivers who love their cars. Despite being small and having excellent public transport networks, there are still over 32 million private vehicles registered in the UK, with 77% of households owning a car.
Plenty of new cars are being registered all the time in the UK but what kind of cars are purchased the most? Traditionally the UK has favoured smaller cars, but are we seeing a change?
Rise In Popularity Of SUVs
In 2020, SUVs took over the number one spot in the UK for purchases of new cars for the first time ever. Brands like Toyota and Nissan dominated the market with their models Rav4 and Qashqai, respectively. Both of these car models briefly took the top spot in most-searched vehicles in the UK multiple times throughout the previous few years.
The Toyota RAV4, especially, was a game-changer in the UK market. It was launched in 1994 to mixed reviews. But in 2018 and 2019 it was the most searched and sold car. They spotted a gap in the automotive market and completely dominated it for years to come.
Luxury automotive brands caught on to this success and now offer a wide range of makes and models, almost to the point of oversaturation. Due to the size, SUVs are built for comfort and an active lifestyle. With marketing constantly pushing the enjoyment of the outdoors, physical activity and healthy living, it’s no wonder that the concept of larger, luxurious, family cars took over the market.
Hatchbacks Are Still Up There
As mentioned previously, the UK had generally been a market in favour of the super-compact hatchback category. Today, models like the Ford Fiesta regularly secure a top-3 finish in the overall sales charts. This makes sense, as UK cities are compact and have small roads and busy streets. Hatchbacks may well continue to own a huge proportion of the market, but, in 2020, the SUV overtook the hatchback for the first time, with the lion’s share of the sales market.
Sedans and Convertibles
Sedans – or saloons – are very popular in the UK, too, with the top brand being BMW. However, they do sit below crossovers and hatchbacks in the overall sales charts. This may be due to price, as UK drivers prefer a smaller and slightly cheaper city car to get around in. Convertibles fall even further down the list, as most Brits view them as a luxury. Plus, the British weather doesn’t allow for top-down driving very often!
Top Brands In The UK
The map above, annually produced data by Compare the Market Australia, shows the most searched brands globally. BMW is still top in the UK – due to the popularity of their sedan models – but Toyota, Nissan, and Ford are extremely close behind and beat BMW in sales figures. It would seem that people like the idea of BMWs but opt to shop with slightly cheaper or smaller car brands when buying. You may also notice a lot of red on that map, signifying how dominant Toyota has become worldwide.
As SUVs assert their dominance in the UK market, it seems likely that they will hold the number one spot in years to come. Their popularity continues to grow, while other styles slowly decline. It seems the UK is changing lanes away from more traditional hatchbacks and saloon cars.
