Honest John Guides

Best-selling cars in the UK 2024

British car buyers' appetite for SUVs continues with seven of them in 2024's 10 best-selling cars roster, so far headed by the Ford Puma.

It's getting very close at the top in the UK's 2024 best-selling cars list, with a margin of just 84 registrations separating the Ford Puma in first place from the Kia Sportage in second, according to the most recent figures published.

That 2024's best-selling car to date is an SUV shouldn't be a surprise given how common a sight on British roads these elevated cars are. Not only are seven of the 10 best-sellers SUVs, all of the top four are, indicating that a growing proportion of buyers appreciate their high-rise seating positions and additional practicality.

So far in 2024 1,811,992 cars have been registered, representing a 2.8% increase over 2023's tally of 1,761,962 over the same period.

Petrol-engined cars continue to dominate with 53.0% of 2024's sales so far, although the 959,673 total represents a 3.2% decline over 2023's figures.

Electric cars now have a 18.7% market share (338,314 sales) and a 17.9% increase compared with 2023, while self-charging hybrids have captured a 13.4% share (243,499 registrations) — a 9.6% rise over 2023.

Proportionally, the largest growth has been with plug-in hybrids with a 19.6% increase over 2023, totting-up 154,462 registrations for an 8.5% stake of the market so this year.

Diesel's decline continues in the UK, with a 12.6% fall in sales compared with the same point in 2023, taking just 6.4% of 2024's registrations. That still represents 116,044 cars, so it's still worthwhile for manufacturers that sell diesels.

Read on to find out more about 2024's best-selling UK cars — and how highly we rate them.

Best-selling UK cars so far in 2024

  1. Ford Puma
  2. Kia Sportage
  3. Nissan Qashqai
  4. Nissan Juke
  5. Volkswagen Golf
  6. Hyundai Tucson
  7. MG HS
  8. Audi A3
  9. Tesla Model Y
  10. Volkswagen Polo

 

1. Ford Puma

45,533 registered

One of the best cars on sale full stop, not just one of the top small SUVs, the Ford Puma has a huge boot and excellent handling, making it practical and fun to drive. The mild hybrid 1.0-litre EcoBoost petrol engine range is the perfect partner for the Puma's sportiness, while the comfortable cabin makes it great for long motorway trips. No wonder it's topping 2024's sales chart — and with the electric Ford Puma Gen-E now open for ordering, what's the betting it'll still be at the top in 2025?

Read the full Ford Puma review

2. Kia Sportage

45,454 registered

The current Kia Sportage is a distinctive looking, family-sized SUV — arguably even bolder than the Hyundai Tucson it shares its underpinnings and engines with. It's no longer a budget buy with a near-£30,000 starting price but you get masses of kit for your money, backed by Kia's seven-year warranty. Mild, self-charging and plug-in petrol hybrids are available but there's no diesel alternative. The Kia Sportage is on the brink of receiving a significant mid-life facelift — expect to see plenty of them on the road in 2025.

Read the full Kia Sportage review

3. Nissan Qashqai

39,047 registered

The best-selling British-built car, the popular Nissan Qashqai was given a mid-life facelift in 2024 to keep it looking fresh-faced in the company of newer rivals. It's an effective family SUV with a comfortable, good quality interior peppered with practical touches and an enormous boot. There's no diesel option as the range consists of mild and self-charging hybrids — the latter, badged e-Power, operates in a way that maximises its battery power, making it a cost-effective plug-in hybrid alternative. 

Read the full Nissan Qashqai review

4. Nissan Juke

32,482 registered

Built alongside the Qashqai in the northeast of England the Nissan Juke's styling remains distinctive but isn't as divisive in the looks department as the original, meaning its appeal's broader to the benefit of sales volumes. The Juke received a freshen-up in 2024 inside and out, although the engine range, shared with its Renault Captur cousin, remains essentially as before, with a choice of petrol or full-hybrid.

Read the full Nissan Juke review

5. Volkswagen Golf

30,964 registered

Comfort, solidity and fine handling are long-standing Volkswagen Golf hallmarks, amplified further thanks to its 2024 facelift which has introduced interior improvements that have largely banished our previous gripes with the car. The highest-selling non-SUV of 2024, the Golf's available with a wide range of petrol and diesel engines, in addition to mild and plug-in hybrid options, while the even roomier Volkswagen Golf Estate caters for those who need more space. Underneath, the Golf continues to share hardware with the better-value SEAT Leon and Skoda Octavia as well as the pricier Audi A3 and Cupra Leon.

Read the full Volkswagen Golf review

6. Hyundai Tucson

30,499 registered

Guess what? The Hyundai Tucson is another of 2024's best-sellers to have received a mid-life facelift during the year, although this one is far more sublte than the Nissan Qashqai's. You'll love or loathe the Tucson's styling, leaving the middle ground to be occupied by its corporate cousin, the mechanically identical Kia Sportage. As with the Kia, Hyundai no longer offers a diesel engine, meaning the propulsion choices are petrol-sipping mild, self-charging and plug-in hybrids. 

Read the full Hyundai Tucson review

7. MG HS

28,595 registered

Accounting for the vast majority of its sales tally is the first-generation MG HS but as the latest iteration, pictured above, went on sale in July 2024, the overall total will be a mixture of both — the newcomer was November's fifth best-seller. Old or new the MG HS is available with a choice of petrol-only and plug-in hybrid engines but key to its sales success is the enticing combination of a spacious interior, high levels of standard equipment and a seven-year warranty.

Read the full MG HS review

8. Audi A3

28,105 registered

Best-selling of the models sold by upmarket, premium-priced brands, the Audi A3 is another car in this list that's had a makeover in 2024. As facelifts go, it was a subtle one, as was that received by its Volkswagen Golf cousin but it's enough to bolster the A3's appeal. Petrol, diesel and plug-in hybrid options are available as is a more traditional four-door Audi A3 Saloon body to complement the five-door Sportback. Performance fans continue to be drawn by the allure of the sporty S3 and even punchier Audi RS 3 variants.

Read the full Audi A3 review

9. Tesla Model Y

27,697 registered

Those curious to know whether Elon Musk's involvement with the US Presidential election and the way he's managing the social medial platform formerly known as Twitter would have a detrimental effect on UK sales of his car company will note that the Tesla Model Y was the third best-selling car in November 2024, nudging it back into the Top 10 of year-to-date sales. The popularity of this electric SUV is set to be bolstered further with the recent introduction of a seven-seater option ahead of an expected facelift in 2025 to bring the Model Y's styling more in line with the revised Tesla Model 3's looks. 

Read the full Tesla Model Y review

10. Volkswagen Polo

27,674 registered

Sneaking into the Top 10 as the best-selling small hatchback of 2024 the Volkswagen Polo's resurgence will no doubt in part be due to the Ford Fiesta's demise — not everyone wants an SUV, however compact the Puma is. What's more surprising is that the Polo's selling so well considering that it's not only one of the older designs of small hatch, it's also one of the priciest. Unless you fancy the 2.0-litre 207PS Volkswagen Polo GTI, all of the five-door models have a 1.0-litre petrol in 80PS, 95PS and 115PS outputs.

Read the full Volkswagen Polo review

What were the UK's November 2024 best-selling cars?

Month-by-month sales often vary considerably from the year-to-date picture as illustrated by the registrations for November 2024:

  1. MINI Cooper — 4412 registrations
  2. Nissan Qashqai — 3776 registrations
  3. Tesla Model Y — 3350 registrations
  4. Kia Sportage — 3339 registrations
  5. MG HS — 3181 registrations
  6. Ford Puma — 3073 registrations
  7. Volvo XC40 — 2963 registrations
  8. Volkswagen Tiguan — 2447 registrations
  9. Peugeot 3008 — 2420 registrations
  10. Hyundai Tucson — 2384 registrations

What is the UK's best-selling car of all time?

With 4,132,294 sales to its name, the Ford Fiesta is the most popular car in the UK. Of course, that's the total number of cars badged Fiesta over seven generations across six different decades:

What are the UK's best-selling cars over the last 50 years?

Over the past 50 years the variety of brands, models, shapes and sizes of cars to have been the UK's annual-best-seller is extraordinary. Which of these cars have played a part in your motoring history?