1. Ford Puma - 42,136
The Puma crossover has now dominated the 2023 sales charts for seven consecutive months. As the closest sibling to the now-discontinued Fiesta, there’s a real chance that supermini buyers are now flocking to this small SUV as it’s the closest alternative - both cars share the same underpinnings. Whatever the case, it’s clear that the Puma is striking the right chord with UK buyers.
2. Nissan Qashqai - 34,952
Last year’s best-selling car has experienced steady sales over the last two months, and this has brought it right back into the race for the title. Even though the competition has increased massively since the original Qashqai made its debut in 2006, the third-generation of this British-built SUV is proving to be as popular as ever.
3. Vauxhall Corsa - 33,641
Britain clearly loves its SUVs, but the Vauxhall Corsa is continuing to lead the way for supermini sales. Its regular appearance towards the higher end of this list should go some way towards quashing concerns about the demise of the small car - even though the smaller city car segment has seen a major decline.
4. Kia Sportage - 31,575
Kia is continuing its attempts to move up market and the latest Sportage is clear evidence of that process in action. The fifth-generation Sportage’s eye-catching styling, comfortable ride and up-to-date technology mean that this model has come a very long way from its utilitarian roots, and it’s far more appealing to buyers as a result.
5. Tesla Model Y - 30,087
Although sales have dropped quite sharply over the latter half of 2023 so far, Tesla’s Model Y is still holding firm in 2023’s overall sales charts. The Model Y SUV is currently Britain’s most-popular electric car, but with the massively-updated Model 3 saloon now on sale, the Model Y could see its own sibling sneaking up the sales rankings to overtake it before the year is out.
6. Hyundai Tucson - 29,990
7. Nissan Juke - 27,253
Nissan’s quirky crossover has long been a sales success for the brand, and the second-generation model is continuing this trend. Although the Ford Puma is leading the way for crossover sales, the Juke is holding its own.
8. MINI - 26,249
Since 1959, Britain has always loved the Mini. Today, the next generation of MINI models is due to arrive very soon but, in the meantime, buyers are still snapping up the brand’s existing models in droves.
9. Vauxhall Mokka - 25,473
Vauxhall is on something of a small car roll, not only has the Corsa sat high on this list for several months, but the Mokka crossover is a regular sight, too. The Mokka is a rival for the Ford Puma and Nissan Juke that appear further up this list, but unlike those two, this model has the option of all-electric power.
10. Audi A3 - 25,452
Now that the Ford Fiesta is just a memory, the Audi A3 has taken its place as 2023’s tenth best-seller. The big three German premium brands - Audi, BMW and Mercedes - were once staples of Britain’s roads, but this family hatchback is currently the only model to represent them in this year’s list. This could be evidence of the traditional executive car’s declining popularity.
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 ‘sales’.
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 pre-registering 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.