Cheapest cars to insure in the UK 2024

​​Finding cheap car insurance is one of the most effective ways for any motorist – and especially new drivers – to save money, so choosing one of the cheapest cars to insure in the UK will go a long way towards helping you save those precious pounds. 

Every car on sale in the UK is categorised into an insurance group that is determined by the Association of British Insurers, and these can be a useful tool to help you work out how much your car insurance may cost. When a car’s group rating is decided, its safety technology, security and cost of repair are all taken into account. The car is then rated from 1 to 50 – 1 being the cheapest and 50 the most expensive. 

This insurance group rating sticks with a car throughout its lifetime, but premiums will be tailored to reflect the age and value of your chosen model, too. The same model can also vary between groups depending on the trim level and included equipment. It’s also important to remember that your car’s insurance group is just one of several factors that insurers will consider when calculating your premium, so even a Group 1 car might not be as cheap for you as it is for someone else. Some of the other considerations will be your location, age and occupation. 

Cheapest cars to insure in the UK

• Hyundai i10
• Kia Picanto
• Volkswagen Polo
• Skoda Fabia
• Toyota Aygo X
• Volkswagen Caddy
• SEAT Arona
• Ford Tourneo Courier
• Hyundai i30
• Renault Clio

Hyundai i10 

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• Model: i10 1.0 MPi auto Advance
• Insurance group: 1
• Price: £16,030

The latest Hyundai i10 is one of the sleekest small cars to come from from the brand yet. Not only is it a better looker than its predecessor, but the new platform means that it’s slightly longer and more spacious, too. There’s also a generous level of tech included as standard. We think it’s such a great all-round package that we’ve named it our City Car of the Year twice.

Insurance groups for the i10 start from as low as group 1, but it’s worth noting that Hyundai’s city car is quite expensive to buy when compared with its rivals.

Kia Picanto

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• Model: Picanto 1.0 DPi 2
• Insurance group: 3
• Price: £15,595

Kia’s design has undergone something of a revolution over recent years, and the latest Kia Picanto is a clear example of the brand’s bold new era. It retains the compact size and affordable pricing of the previous model, but now features far more technology packaged in a modern and stylish body that’s inspired by the giant EV9 electric SUV. 

The Picanto should prove reliable but, if something does go wrong, the brand’s seven-year/100,000-mile warranty is included for peace of mind. 

Volkswagen Polo

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• Model: Polo 1.0 Life
• Insurance group: 3
• Price: £20,975

The Volkswagen Polo is a rather sophisticated supermini that comes with a decent level of equipment and a high-quality interior. The VW is more expensive than a number of its rivals, but it makes up for this with reasonable running costs.

Another upside to the Polo is that it offers a considerable amount of space for a car of its size. Four passengers will be able to sit comfortably in the Polo’s cabin, and there’s a 351-litre boot for all their luggage.

Skoda Fabia

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• Model: Fabia 1.0 MPI SE Comfort, 1.0 MPI SE Colour Edition
• Insurance group: 4
• Price: £18,995

Although it could be seen as one of the less exciting models in the supermini market, the Skoda Fabia excels at being a car that’s easy to live with without breaking the bank. 

The edition with the non-turbocharged 1.0-litre MPI engine is the Fabia that sits in the lowest insurance group, and its 79bhp power output means it’s better suited to lower-speed driving. If you like the look of the car but need more power, the 1.0-litre TSI engine is a better all-rounder, but this will push up the cost of insurance.

Toyota Aygo X

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• Model: Aygo X 1.0 VVT-i Pure
• Insurance group: 5
• Price: £16,140

Toyota’s pseudo-SUV is a small car with plenty of personality, along with a reasonable amount of standard kit. However, its three-cylinder petrol engine and some low-rent materials do make it feel dated when compared with newer rivals – many of which are hybrid or electric-powered. 

There are indeed some savings to be made with the Aygo X if you opt for the entry-level Pure trim, but a starting price of over £16,000 quickly stops it from being an outright bargain.

Volkswagen Caddy

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• Model: Caddy 1.5 TSI SWB
• Insurance group: 8
• Price: £28,345

It’s not just city cars and superminis that make up this list; if you’re in the market for a larger family car, the Volkswagen Caddy sits as low as insurance group eight. This small van-based MPV offers a huge amount of space inside, thanks to its commercial-vehicle roots, but it still comes with the same sort of kit that you’d find in VW’s regular cars.

The Caddy also does a respectable job of hiding its DNA when it comes to driving. It doesn’t feel too dissimilar to a Volkswagen Golf from behind the wheel, and this is because it uses the same MQB platform. 

SEAT Arona

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• Model: Arona 1.0 TSI SE
• Insurance group: 9
• Price: £22,460

Plenty of people love SUVs, and if you fancy one for yourself, you won’t necessarily have to fork out on the insurance. The SEAT Arona is a small SUV that’s refined, practical enough for family use and rather sporty to look at. 

You’ll need to opt for the 1.0-litre TSI petrol engine if you want the cheapest premiums, and this can feel a bit out of its depth when you need to press on. Stick to sensible speeds, though, and it can return a WLTP combined fuel economy figure of more than 50mpg.

Ford Tourneo Courier

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• Model: Tourneo Courier EcoBoost Titanium
• Insurance group: 10
• Price: £25,900

Much like the Volkswagen Caddy, the Ford Tourneo Courier is another spacious van-based MPV. In fact the van it’s based on, the Ford Transit Courier, is our 2024 Van of the Year, so it boasts a very strong lineage.

Although it looks very much like the Transit on the outside, the Tourneo Courier is actually rather pleasant to drive, and far more car-like than its appearance suggests. Sliding rear doors mean it’s great for tightly packed car parks, too.

Hyundai i30

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• Model: i30 1.0 T-GDi SE Connect
• Insurance group: 10
• Price: £22,445

The market for traditional hatchbacks is dwindling, but the Hyundai i30 is still a notable competitor in this sector. It’s well equipped, economical, comfortable and (most importantly of all) cheap to insure if you choose the 1.0 petrol model in SE Connect trim.

This engine may seem small at first glance, but it actually offers an attractive blend of performance and fuel economy. With 118bhp and 172Nm of torque on tap, it’s perfectly capable of keeping up with motorway traffic, and very quiet at cruising speeds.

Renault Clio

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• Model: Clio 1.0 TCe Evolution
• Insurance group: 10
• Price: £18,395

The Renault Clio has been a firm favourite of new drivers and driving instructors for decades, so it’s only right that it should be cheap to insure. The latest model also looks the part when parked next to far pricier rivals, too. 

It’s not just a looker, though, because Renault has been quite generous with the Clio’s standard equipment. LED headlights, alloy wheels, and twin seven-inch screens with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are all thrown in, along with plenty of advanced safety systems.

Cheapest cars to insure: prices and ratings table

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