Top 10: UK car sales 2021

2021’s new car registration statistics were markedly different from those of previous years, thanks to supply issues, the ongoing pandemic and changing buying habits.

The top ten models list is clear evidence of this. After topping the annual charts for over a decade, the Fiesta was finally toppled by the Vauxhall Corsa (40,914 units and a 2.5% market share), while the Tesla Model 3 (34,783 units / 2.1% share) became a surprising runner-up. In fact, Ford’s supermini disappeared from the table altogether, courtesy of dismal deliveries during the fourth quarter of 2021.

Cumulative UK Car Registrations (2021 Q4) By Model

Volkswagen (147,826 units / 9.0% share) was the country’s most popular manufacturer by quite a large margin. Two other German brands – Audi (117,953 units / 7.2% share) and BMW (116,577 units / 7.1% share) – conspired to relegate Ford (116,305 units / 7.1% share) to fourth place.

Cumulative UK Car Registrations (2021 Q4) By Manufacturer

Those achievements have to be viewed against a background of abnormal trading conditions, of course. Total registrations in 2021 were 1,647,181, which was a tiny increase on 2020’s corresponding (and equally poor) figure of 1,631,064.

Cumulative UK Car Registrations (2021 Q4) By Month

One important factor to note is the continued shift towards electrified models. Battery electric, plug-in hybrid and ‘self-charging’ hybrid cars grew their combined mix to 27.5%, but the majority of customers still chose a petrol engine.

Cumulative UK Car Registrations (2021 Q4) By Powertrain Type

Cumulative UK Car Registrations (2021 Q4) By Powertrain Mix

Related posts:
Top 10: UK car sales 2021 - winners and losers
Top 10: UK car sales 2020

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