Volkswagen was the UK’s most popular car brand in 2024, while MG outsold Vauxhall
New data also reveals that Jeep’s sales figures almost tripled in 2024, however sister brand DS sold less than half as many cars as it did the previous year
Volkswagen has retained its title as the most popular car brand in the UK for the fourth year in a row. According to data released by the SMMT (Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders), more than 166,000 new VWs were sold in 2024 – around 41,000 more cars than its closest competitor.
The brand’s biggest-selling model was the long-serving Golf, which celebrated its 50th anniversary last year with 32,370 new examples leaving showrooms. It was also the sixth best-selling model overall in the UK, while its smaller stablemate, the Polo supermini, was the tenth best-selling model among Brits with 28,981 sales.
Volkswagen was one of several ‘winners’ in the new-car market in 2024. Another was Jeep, which saw its sales figures nearly triple, thanks largely to the Jeep Avenger, as the pint-sized SUV became available in petrol, hybrid and electric form. Renault’s sales also climbed by 36 per cent, plus there was a 32 per cent rise for Volvo.
BMW led the premium segment with 125,265 cars sold (a 12 per cent increase), more than a quarter of which were EVs. Overall, BMW was the second most popular brand in the UK, while direct rival Audi was the third most popular, despite a nearly 11 per cent reduction in sales, selling 122,431 cars in total.
Some of the ‘losers’ in 2024 included DS Automobiles, which continues to struggle in the UK market, with only 1,152 cars sold all year – 52 per cent less than in 2023. Fellow Stellantis group marque Maserati also saw a 47 per cent decline in sales, while Fiat dropped by 14 per cent, and sales for Vauxhall fell by 21 per cent. In fact, last year saw MG sell more cars in the UK than Vauxhall.
The Ford Puma may have been the UK’s best-selling car again last year, but on the whole the Blue Oval didn’t fare too well. Compared to 2023, sales for Ford were almost 24 per cent down, and as a result, the company sold 3,000 more vans than it did passenger cars.
One of the biggest surprises in the SMMT’s data was Polestar’s 30 per cent drop in sales compared to 2023, despite the Volvo spin-off launching the much-anticipated Polestar 3 SUV and Polestar 4 coupe, plus significant technological upgrades to the existing Polestar 2. This was also despite electric cars being more popular than ever in 2024, with EVs accounting for 19.6 per cent of all cars sold.
2024 was a busy year for the automotive industry! Now take a look at the year's best-selling cars...
