The best-selling cars of 2023 – Which? News
The Ford Puma was the UK’s bestselling car of 2023, according to official figures.
Annual figures from industry body the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) show that 1.9m cars (across all cars and fuel types) were registered in 2023, compared to 1.61m during 2022 – a year-on-year rise of 17.9%.
However, in December sales of electric cars[1] declined significantly compared to the same period in 2022.
Car registrations across all fuel types remain 17.7% below pre-pandemic levels.
Read on to find out which other models were the bestsellers along with the areas of the market that experienced success in 2023.
Best cars for 2024: discover the cars that performed well for safety, reliability, performance and more[2]
Most popular new cars in 2023
These are the five bestselling cars of 2023, but do we recommend them? Click the links to find out how they fared in our lab and road tests.
1. Ford Puma (2020-)
The smallest model in Ford’s current range, the Puma is a compact SUV with practical touches. Based on the outgoing Fiesta, it’s available with a range of mild hybrid engines and comes with a five-star Euro NCAP rating. An ST performance model is also available.
Find out how it did in our full Ford Puma (2020-)[3] review.
2 Nissan Qashqai (2021-)
The third-generation Qashqai is well-equipped and slots between the Juke and X-Trail SUVs in the Nissan range. It’s also available as a full hybrid, badged the Qashqai e-power[4]. But how does it perform in our lab and road tests?
We give the definitive verdict in our full Nissan Qashqai (2021-)[5] review.
3. Vauxhall Corsa (2020-)
A firm favourite for 30 years now, the Corsa was updated towards the end of 2023 with styling tweaks, while a petrol mild hybrid version was unveiled in January 2024. It’s also available with a pure-petrol engine and as an all-electric model.
Find out how both perform in our Vauxhall Corsa (2020-) review and Vauxhall Corsa Electric (2020-) review.[6][7]
4. Kia Sportage (2021-)
Kia’s latest Sportage is available in mild hybrid, full hybrid and plug-in hybrid versions. Some models also come with four-wheel drive, while diesel models are available used. All models have Kia’s seven-year warranty.
Read our full review of the Kia Sportage Plug-in Hybrid (2022-)[8] to see how it performed in our lab and road tests.
5. Tesla Model Y (2022-)
Tesla cars turn heads and the Model Y is no exception. It has the large touchscreen we expect from Tesla and plenty of safety kit. It’s also good to drive and was one of the bestselling EVs worldwide in 2023.
We give the definitive verdict in our full Tesla Model Y (2022-)[9] review.
Best electric cars for 2024: our reviews include realistic range figures, so you’ll know how far each can travel on a single charge[10]
Private EV sales stall as hybrids prove popular
Although EVs accounted for one in six new cars registered in 2023 and saw a year-on-year increase of 17.8%, the vast majority were to company car fleets and businesses. Among private buyers, EVs accounted for just one in 11 sales.
Plug-in hybrid[11] sales saw a considerable year-on-year increase of 39.3%, while sales of full hybrid cars[12] went up by 27.1%.
However, petrol cars (including petrol mild hybrids) continue to dominate, accounting for 56% of new car sales in the UK last year.
The top 10 bestsellers of 2023 in full
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*Plug-in hybrid review
Brands with biggest sales increases in 2023
While there are no surprises in the bestselling brands (Volkswagen tops the list, followed by Ford and Audi), there are some interesting names when looking at increases in the percentages sold over the year.
We’ve listed the top five below, including their percentage increase and total sales.
1. Ora
- Increase: 1,240%
- Total sales: 911
Yes, the eye-catching percentage increase that puts Ora in top spot is tempered by very low overall sales figures, but this Chinese-owned brand is one to watch.
Ora entered the UK market in late 2022 with one model: the electric Funky Cat hatchback (currently its sole UK model). Since then, the brand has announced it’s renaming this car the Ora 03. It also plans to introduce a Tesla Model 3 rival (called the 07) later in 2024.
Read our Ora Funky Cat (2023-)[13] review to see how this model performs in our lab tests.
2. Cupra
- Increase: 78%
- Total sales: 25,658
Cupra is Seat’s performance brand, and the Volkswagen Group (which owns both marques) plans to stop producing Seat cars in the near future and focus on Cupra.
Models such as the Formentor and Born form the core Cupra range, while the larger Tavascan SUV will also be introduced this year.
Find out how both models perform in our Cupra Formentor (2020-)[14] and Cupra Born (2022-) [15]reviews.
3. Subaru
- Increase: 73%
- Total sales: 2,409
Known for its range of SUVs (and the Outback estate), Subaru saw a big increase in sales last year (although like Ora, sales were low compared to its rivals).
As the XV-replacing Crosstrek went on sale in late 2023 and an all-new Forester SUV is set to be introduced this year, the brand is no doubt hoping for similar growth in 2024.
We’re due to test the Crosstrek late this year. In the meantime, see what we thought of the Outback in our full Subaru Outback (2021-) review[16].
4. Polestar
- Increase: 71%
- Total sales: 12,543
Polestar is another brand that seems likely to have a busy 2024.
The distinctive Polestar 2 hatchback is its only model at present, with the logically named Polestar 3 and 4 SUV models debuting in 2024.
We give the definitive verdict in our full Polestar 2 (2020-) review[17].
5. MG
- Increase: 59%
- Total sales: 81,289
MG is an established player in the UK and sells a range of petrol, PHEV and electric models.
The range includes the MG 4 hatchback, which has proved remarkably popular and was the second highest-selling EV in the UK in 2023.
We’re currently testing the MG4. Ahead of our full review, see what we thought of the MG5 (2021-)[18].
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References
- ^ electric cars (www.which.co.uk)
- ^ Best cars for 2024 (www.which.co.uk)
- ^ Ford Puma (2020-) (www.which.co.uk)
- ^ Qashqai e-power (www.which.co.uk)
- ^ Nissan Qashqai (2021-) (www.which.co.uk)
- ^ Vauxhall Corsa (2020-) review (www.which.co.uk)
- ^ Vauxhall Corsa Electric (2020-) review (www.which.co.uk)
- ^ Kia Sportage Plug-in Hybrid (2022-) (www.which.co.uk)
- ^ Tesla Model Y (2022-) (www.which.co.uk)
- ^ Best electric cars for 2024 (www.which.co.uk)
- ^ Plug-in hybrid (www.which.co.uk)
- ^ full hybrid cars (www.which.co.uk)
- ^ Ora Funky Cat (2023-) (www.which.co.uk)
- ^ Cupra Formentor (2020-) (www.which.co.uk)
- ^ Cupra Born (2022-) (www.which.co.uk)
- ^ Subaru Outback (2021-) review (www.which.co.uk)
- ^ Polestar 2 (2020-) review (www.which.co.uk)
- ^ MG5 (2021-) (www.which.co.uk)
- ^ Get our Cars newsletter – it’s free monthly (signup.which.co.uk)