​Best-selling cars 2024: the UK’s top 10 most popular models

As the end of the year comes into view, the picture of the UK’s most popular cars of 2024 is almost complete. November was a tricky time for car makers, however, marking a decline in new car registrations for a second consecutive month. A total of 153,600 constituted a 1.9 per cent year-on-year drop compared to 2023, across both private and fleet purchases.

Petrol remains the most popular type of fuel for new car buyers, with 70,312 cars registered, accounting for 54.6 per cent of the market in November. However, Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) experienced year-on-year growth of 58.4 per cent, with 38,581 registrations taking an overall 25.1 per market share. Electric cars were the only sector showing a year-on-year increase, with petrol cars, hybrids, plug-in hybrids and diesels all experiencing varying rates of decline.

Anything can still happen in the best-selling car stakes with one month to go, but Ford might well be thinking about putting the champagne on ice as the Puma continues to lead the way for the year, with another 3,073 shifted in November. 

Kia did manage to beat its long-running rival over the past month, though, as an additional 3,339 Sportages hit the road. The battle for the top spot is as fierce as ever, but as things stand the Puma is in pole position to retain its title as Britain’s best-selling car of the year.

While plenty of buyers adore their SUVs, there’s still a place for the supermini in UK drivers’ hearts, too, as the MINI Cooper came out on top as November’s top-seller. With 2025 creeping up on manufacturers, it’s still all to play for, so here are the UK’s top-selling cars in 2024 so far.

The UK’s best-selling cars 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 - 45,538

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The Ford Puma was the nation’s best-selling car in 2023, and its popularity is showing very few signs of slowing down late into 2024. The facelifted model has now arrived, and buyers are clearly still being wooed by this Fiesta-based small SUV. Ford has another potential ace up its sleeve, too, as the fully-electric Ford Puma Gen-e’s arrival is imminent.

2. Kia Sportage - 45,454

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The fifth-generation Kia Sportage has been a regular sight on this list since it launched in 2021, and it seems that it’s only increasing in popularity. With its distinctive styling, technology that’s bang up-to-date and overall quality feel, the latest Sportage is worlds apart from its predecessors. In fact, we think the Kia Sportage is one of the best mid-size SUVs to buy right now.

3. Nissan Qashqai - 39,047

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The Nissan Qashqai was 2022’s best-seller, and it’s clear that it’s still a firm favourite today. With the freshly-facelifted model now on our roads, it would appear that it’s still striking all the right chords with buyers. An all-electric variant is also due to arrive very soon and this could bring in even more customers if the price is right.

4. Nissan Juke - 32,482

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Much like the larger Nissan Qashqai, the Nissan Juke enjoys a pretty constant stream of sales. This funky little SUV is undoubtedly one of the more distinctive models in this area of the market. A mid-life facelift gave the Juke a new lease of life, but it’s still struggling to top the Ford Puma when it comes down to outright appeal.

5. Volkswagen Golf - 30,964

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The Mk8 Volkswagen Golf suffered its fair share of criticism, with VW customers being deterred by oversights such as an infuriating lack of physical controls and backlighting. However, the brand has managed to right many of its wrongs with the updated Mk8.5 model, and these corrections appear to be improving the Golf’s reputation at long last.

6. Hyundai Tucson - 30,499

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The Hyundai Tucson is a four-time mid-size SUV of the Year award winner at the Auto Express New Car Awards and it also appears to be impressing plenty of buyers, too. The Tucson offers styling and tech that wouldn’t be out of place on high-end models, along with plenty of practicality, and a mid-life refresh has helped to keep it up to speed with swathes of new rivals, too.

7. MG HS - 28,595

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After a brief stint as the UK’s best-selling car at the start of the year, the MG HS is still doing its part to bring the iconic octagonal badge back into the mainstream. The second generation of this budget-conscious family SUV has now arrived with more tech and a brand new look, but it still offers that crucial competitive starting price.

8. Audi A3 - 28,105

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For the time being, the Audi A3 has managed to see off its arch-nemesis, the BMW 1 Series. With plenty of luxury and tech for a car of its size, the compact A3 is well suited to life as a family car as well as being a comfy motorway commuter. UK buyers are still fans of the big German brands, but it would appear that their smaller models are increasingly outshining the traditional executive saloons.

9. Tesla Model Y - 27,697

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Tesla’s Model Y has returned to the top 10, and it remains the UK’s most popular electric car. We can presume fleet sales have driven the Model Y back into the best-sellers chart, as fleets and business users have accounted for a huge percentage of new electric car sales this year. It’s easy to see the appeal, as the Model Y combines a massive range, top-notch safety, spacious interior and enviable badge appeal. 

10. Volkswagen Polo - 27,674

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Within a sea of SUVs and larger hatchbacks, the Volkswagen Polo is leading the way for the supermini. VW’s smallest model is nimble enough for city streets, but it still offers a level of refinement which gives it a somewhat premium feel. There’s a decent amount of space inside, too, so it’s capable of doubling up as a compact family car. For those who desire a bit more performance zest, there’s also the option of the Polo GTI.

Sales vs registrations: inside the numbers

There’s an important distinction to be made where the UK’s monthly and annual car sales numbers are concerned. Namely, that they don’t actually count the number of cars sold in the sense that many people might imagine. The numbers provided by the SMMT are for car ‘registrations’ rather than being sales figures.

When customers buy a new car it is registered before it can be driven on the road but cars are also registered by manufacturers and dealers before they have a customer to go to. This practice of processing pre-registered cars is done for various reasons but often the goal is to move stock through the supply chain, avoiding bottlenecks or to hit targets. It means that a significant proportion of the cars in the ‘sales’ figures could be pre-registered and estimates range from between 10 and 20 per cent.

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