The battle for Britain’s best-selling car is heating up as we enter the final months of the year, as the Kia Sportage finishes top in September’s monthly leaderboard, closing the sales gap to the leading Ford Puma.
According to data published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), the overall new car market recorded a modest growth of 1% in September when compared to the same month last year.
After winning the 2023 sales race, the Ford Puma small SUV has recorded yet another year of strong sales performance and continues to hold on to first in the annual leaderboard. But can it hold on to the top spot until the end?
The increasingly popular Kia Sportage SUV has followed up several months of very consistent sales form with a table-topping performance in September’s registration charts, closing in on the Puma’s lead with around 1,450 sales separating them.
Britain’s best-seller not long ago, the Nissan Qashqai family SUV holds on to third despite an unusually low sixth place finish in last month.
September is traditionally a high-volume sales month, and last month was no different, with many buyers waiting for the ’74’ nameplate charge before picking up their new car.
Consistent appearances in the monthly sales leaderboards has lead to the Volkswagen Polo finally entering the annual top ten, while the BMW 1 Series, which started the year in strong sales form, has lost its top ten status.
Top ten best-sellers chart, September 2024
| Rank | Brand | Registrations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kia Sportage | 7,482 |
| 2 | Ford Puma | 6,681 |
| 3 | Nissan Juke | 6,025 |
| 4 | Hyundai Tucson | 5,799 |
| 4 | Tesla Model Y | 5,799 |
| 6 | Nissan Qashqai | 5,239 |
| 7 | Volkswagen Polo | 4,657 |
| 8 | Volkswagen Tiguan | 4,327 |
| 9 | Ford Kuga | 4,066 |
| 10 | Volkswagen Golf | 3,974 |
Britain’s best-selling cars of 2024
1. Ford Puma
The recently-facelifted Ford Puma outsold cars of all shapes and sizes and was crowned Britain’s best-selling new car in 2023. Currently Ford’s most popular offering by a country mile, the Puma has become the model to beat. While the crossover continued its sales form into September, its second place finish behind the Kia Sportage has cast a shadow of doubt over its lead. Can the Puma hold on and take the best-selling title for two years running?
The Puma has received plenty of praise from the UK motoring media, and currently holds a New Car Expert Rating of A, with a score of 71% on our unique Expert Rating Index.
2. Kia Sportage
Top after January, the Kia Sportage started 2024 in strong sales form, but fell behind the Puma after some inconsistent registration totals in Spring. The SUV found its form again in the Summer, and is now one great month of sales away from snatching pole position in the annual sales race.
The new Kia Sportage currently holds a New Car Expert Rating of A, with a score of 72% on our award-winning Expert Rating Index.
3. Nissan Qashqai
The Nissan Qashqai remains one of the nation’s most popular cars, and while the SUV took top spot back in March, it is now loosing ground to the top two after a couple of months of sales inconsistency. While the SUV may not be able to reach top spot at this point, it has a firm hold on third, with 4,000 more sales than the Juke in fourth.
The Qashqai is the current jewel in the crown of the British car manufacturing industry – designed in London, developed in the Midlands and built in Sunderland. It’s also the UK’s best-selling British-built car. On sale since Autumn 2021, the Qashqai holds a New Car Expert Rating of A, with a score of 75%.
4. Nissan Juke
On sale since 2019, the UK-built Nissan Juke has established itself as a popular choice of British motorists in the last year, as a cheaper and more compact alternative to the bigger Qashqai.
The crossover overtook six other models in March, but slipped one place to fifth in July. A third place finish in September sees the model move up to fourth once again.
The Juke currently holds a New Car Expert Rating of B, with a score of 68%. That puts it squarely in the middle of a crowded compact SUV class.
5. Volkswagen Golf
Volkswagen was the UK’s most popular car manufacturer last year. That said none of the brand’s various models were regular top ten contenders. That looks set to change, as the Golf has not only established itself in the top ten. Leading the T-Roc crossover which is also proving to be popular, this hatch is currently Volkswagen’s best export in the UK.
The Volkswagen Golf currently holds an excellent New Car Expert Rating of A, with a score of 80%.
6. Hyundai Tucson
Re-appearing in the top ten following its recent facelift, the Hyundai Tucson SUV looks likely to establish itself in the mid-table of the annual sales rankings once again, though it is unlikely to match the sales numbers of the similar Kia Sportage by the end of this year. A joint-fourth place finish in September was enough to see the SUV climb one more place in the annual list up to sixth.
The Hyundai Tucson currently holds a New Car Expert Rating of A, with a score of 75%.
7. Audi A3
A latecomer to the 2023 best-seller shortlist, the Audi A3 snatched ninth in last year’s top ten by a narrow margin as the race approached the finish line. The A3 is another model to carry its sales form into 2024, but its absence from the September top ten has lead to the Audi falling one place to seventh. If it continues in its current sales form it’s likely to slip further. The model was missing from the June, July and August top ten too.
The Audi A3 currently holds a New Car Expert Rating of A, with a score of 70%.
8. Volkswagen Polo
While it isn’t quite as popular in the UK as its larger Golf sibling, the Polo has picked up some fantastic sales form in the second half of this year – supplanting the T-Roc crossover in the process – and this sales form is now paying dividend. The small hatchback is now the eighth best-selling new car in the UK, but can it climb higher in the closing months of 2024?
The Polo currently holds a solid New Car Expert Rating of A, with a score of 76% in our industry-leading Expert Rating Index.
9. Tesla Model Y
The world’s best-selling electric car, the Tesla Model Y has managed to climb into the annual top ten after recording a joint-fourth place finish in September’s registration rankings. The Model Y hasn’t been able to match its 2023, sales form, when it managed to finish firmly in mid-table at year’s end. With three months to go, can the Tesla climb the table to finish in fifth one again?
The Tesla Model Y currently holds a New Car Expert Rating of A, with a score of 81%. This is one of the highest scores in our Expert Rating index.
10. MG HS
Like last year, MG started 2024 in fine sales form, as its large HS SUV sat in fourth after January. The SUV doesn’t always post the most consistent sales numbers and has slid down the rankings in recent months.
While the introduction of an all-new model has rejuvenated buyer interest, that hasn’t prevented the HS from falling a further two places to tenth after missing out on the September top ten.
First launched in 2019, the MG HS currently holds a New Car Expert Rating of C, with a score of 62% in our revitalised Expert Rating Index.
That sums up the September top ten – the October registration results will be announced in the first week of November. Check back soon!