These Were The 10 Best-Selling Cars In Britain In 2024

Look, we’re car enthusiasts. If you’re reading this website, you probably are too, unless you’ve got very lost. But the fact is, most people aren’t car enthusiasts. To them, a car is just an appliance that gets them from place to place without the misery of having to take the bus.

That’s why, as easy as it is to despair every January when the list of Britain’s best-selling cars of the year gone by is published, it’s worth remembering that, sadly, not everyone wants or needs a Mazda MX-5, Toyota GR Yaris, or BMW M2. Some people just want… cars.

That still doesn’t quite explain why everyone’s so obsessed with crossovers which, from a logical standpoint, make very little sense compared to a good old-fashioned hatch or saloon. Still, they seem to be what the people want, as you’re about to see. Join us for a look through the 10 best selling cars in the UK in 2024, with figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. Try to stay awake.

10. Volkswagen Polo - 28,891 sales

One of only two non-crossovers on the list, the current Polo is still going strong despite the fact that it’s about to enter its ninth year on sale.

Despite newer rivals like the latest Peugeot 208 and Renault Clio arguably offering more characterful alternatives, the Polo’s spot on this list proves that, if nothing else, the VW badge still holds plenty of sway and that, thankfully, the small, simple supermini still has some value.

9. Volvo XC40 - 30,202 sales

The XC40’s another car that’s getting on a bit, having been around since 2017, but it continues to be a massive success story for Volvo – and why not?

It’s a handsome thing compared to most rivals, decent if not a revelation to drive, and incorporates some of the chill Scandi interior ambience that bigger Volvos do so well these days. We’re not sure if these figures only count the combustion and hybrid XC40, or the full EV version too, which was renamed EX40 last year.

8. MG HS - 30,207 sales

We’re hearing more and more about the rapidly growing Chinese car industry, but the MG HS was the only Chinese car to actually make the top 10 in 2024, and it did so with a badge that’s familiar to lots of Brits.

It also did so by being a fundamentally decent bit of family transport and for a chunk less change than most of its rivals. A second-gen HS launched late in the year, and we don’t know if these figures encompass it or just the old model.

7. Hyundai Tucson - 32,174 sales

We’re very big fans of what Hyundai’s doing these days, releasing lots of well-made, excellent-looking and, in some cases, phenomenal to drive cars.

It does have to fund these by churning out sensible volume sellers like the Tucson, but it too is very good at the job it does. In fact, if someone came to us looking for a new mid-size family crossover, it’s probably the car we’d steer them towards.

6. Volkswagen Golf - 32,370 sales

The Mk8 is by no means the best Golf ever (though it’s better than it used to be), but the power of the Golf name is still very clearly there, which is why it joins its little sibling as the only other non-crossover on the list.

Frankly, with the Ford Focus set to die this year, we just applaud anyone keeping the faith in traditional hatches like this. With its spicy GTI, Clubsport and R versions, it’s also just about the only car on the list with any proper enthusiast cred.

5. Tesla Model Y - 32,862 sales

The only full EV in the top 10 in a year when they’ve struggled to sell privately, there are several reasons the Model Y remains so popular.

Tesla got the jump on the majority of old-guard manufacturers in building viable EVs, which means that, whatever you think of the company and the man who runs it, it’s quite good at them. Tesla has also long had an advantage in having exclusive access to easily the best charging network around, although that’s now gradually being opened up to other EVs too.

4. Nissan Juke - 34,454 sales

No, we have no idea what 34,454 British people were thinking either. It’s built in the UK, which is good, we guess?

3. Nissan Qashqai - 42,418 sales

A big jump up in sales numbers to the first of only three cars to break the 40,000 sales mark, and yep… it’s another Nissan crossover. Despite the Japanese giant having some fairly well-publicised struggles at the moment, and only selling five models in the UK, two of them are in the top four.

We always have a pop at the Qashqai for kicking off the whole crossover trend back in 2007, but it’s always been basically… fine. That continued with last year’s update, which also made it look surprisingly cool.

2. Kia Sportage - 47,163 sales

We can’t really think of a whole lot interesting to say about the Sportage, mainly because we haven’t driven one. But it’s the same as the Tucson underneath, which is a good thing, and Kia’s on the same constant upward trajectory as its fellow South Korean stablemate. It also still runs that very tempting seven-year warranty. It’s not very exciting, but we can see why it’s so popular.

1. Ford Puma - 48,340 sales

And the winner is… the Ford Puma. Which won’t come as a huge surprise to anyone that saw it top the list in 2023 too, or land in the top 10 every year since 2020. In fact, the Puma effectively replaces the Fiesta, which was the sales king in the UK year after year until it was dropped.

It’s no huge surprise to see it on top then, and because it’s a Ford, it’s fundamentally a decent car too. Shame the ‘hot’ ST version is now a downsized, auto-only shadow of its former self. An electric version is arriving this year that’ll likely provide a further modest boost. Don’t be at all surprised if you’re reading this list in a year’s time and it’s number one again.