New car registrations grew almost 18 percent in 2023 as sales recovered from the pandemic to record their best year since 2019.
1.9 million new cars were registered in 2023, according to preliminary figures from the Society of Motor Manufactures and Traders (SMMT), driven by extra-strong demand from fleets for tax-saving electric cars.
However, the car industry trade body warned that the high prices of EVs for private buyers was restricting overall electric car sales growth – with the proportion of new EV sales actually falling for the first time in 2023.
It is now calling for a cut in VAT to 10 percent on EVs sold to private buyers to help boost demand in dealers.
Electric cars still reached a record volume in 2023, growing by almost 50,000 units to 315,000 sales. This meant more EVs were sold in 2023 than in 2020 and 2021 combined.
However, it is fleets that are driving this demand – with just 1 in 11 private buyers choosing an EV in 2023.
Ford Puma is no. 1
The Ford Puma was the best-selling new car in 2023, marking a return to the top of the table for the blue oval after the demise of the perennially-popular Ford Fiesta.
More than 49,500 new Ford Puma were registered in 2023, seeing it edge ahead of last year’s best-seller, the Nissan Qashqai. The Vauxhall Corsa, 2021’s best-seller, was the third most popular new car in 2023.
It was a double Ford triumph too, with the Ford Transit Custom once again being the UK’s best-selling van. Ford has now led the UK commercial vehicle market for a staggering 58 consecutive years.
“I’m delighted that Puma was both the best-selling vehicle and car in the UK, and Transit Custom was the best-selling CV in 2023,” said Ford UK chair and MD Lisa Brankin.
“This terrific achievement in 2023 is a great foundation for us to step forward into 2024 and roll out our electrification plan at pace in both the car and van markets.”
Ford is planning to unveil an electric version of the Puma later in 2024, which will go on sale in 2025.
In terms of the UK’s favourite vehicle type, the market is evenly split across three sectors – superminis, SUVs and family hatchbacks.
Superminis such as the Ford Fiesta accounted for 29.8 percent of new car sales. Dual purpose cars such as the Ford Puma made up 28.6 percent of registrations. Lower medium cars like the Ford Focus took a 28.3 percent market share.
This left all other types of new car to fight over the remaining 13.3 percent of new car registrations.
The SMMT will release final 2023 new car registrations data at 9am today (Friday 5 January).
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