Petrol cars remain the preferred choice among Britons (almost 52% of the total market), followed by electric cars, then classic hybrids (13.4%) and plug-in hybrids (8.6%). Diesel cars will only account for 6.3% of new car sales in 2024.
In addition, according to SMMT, crossovers and SUVs were the most popular new vehicle segment in the UK for the first time in a year.
The UK’s top 10 best-selling new cars for 2024:
- Ford Puma – 48,340 units.
- Kia Sportage – 47,163
- Nissan Qashqai – 42,418
- Nissan Juke – 34,454
- Tesla Model Y – 32,862
- Volkswagen Golf – 32,370
- Hyundai Tucson – 32,174
- MG HS – 30,207
- Volvo XC40 – 30,202
- Volkswagen Polo – 28,981
A total of 1.95 million new cars were registered in the UK in 2024, marking the second consecutive year of market growth, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Dealers (SMMT) has revealed.
However, 1.16 million of those vehicles went to corporate fleets, while sales to private owners fell nearly 9% year-on-year.