Best-selling cars in the UK 2024

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 yje 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.

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 no diesel alternative.

Even better than its popular predecessors, the 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. 

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. A wide range of petrol and diesels are available, 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.

While the styling of the Nissan Juke remains distinctive, this compact SUV curio 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.

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 continue 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 fan continue to be drawn by the allure of the sporty S3 and punchier Audi RS3 variants.

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. 

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. Old or new, the 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.

There or thereabout the same size as the Golf but with a loftier driving position, the Volkswagen T-Roc has won many fans thanks to it's blend of interior space, frugal petrol and diesel engines, engaging handling and decent value. Not only is it appreciably smaller than the Volkswagen Tiguan, it's sleeker in profile. If the five-door model's too conventional for your taste, you might be persuaded by the soft-top charm of the Volkswagen T-Roc Cabriolet which is now the firm's sole convertible.

Although the picture above is of the facelifted BMW 1 Series, the first examples of it won't be registered in the UK until October 2024, meaning the sales tally so far is of the outgoing model. If you're considering one of the freshened-up versions then be aware that for the timebeing the line-up is very restricted in terms of choice, with just two petrol petrol engines to pick from. More will join the range in early 2025 but diesels won't return.