The Kia Sportage topped the table as the UK’s best-selling new car during October 2024, based on data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers & Traders (SMMT).
Some 4,533 examples of the practical family SUV found new homes last month, helping the Korean brand set a new sales record.
However, the overall SMMT figures for October 2024 showed a substantial drop in new car sales.
Private, fleet and business customers across the UK all purchased fewer vehicles, when compared to the same period in 2023.
Sportage is the UK’s favourite
Kia will be celebrating the fifth-generation Sportage’s success. The SUV is the Korean marque’s top-selling model in the UK and around the world.
The Sportage is now a close second for overall new car sales in 2024, with 42,115 examples shifted this year. That places it just 350 vehicles behind the top-selling Ford Puma.
With 100,936 cars sold already this year, Kia has already broken its previous best record, set in 2022.
Almost half (49 percent) of new Kia models sold in the UK are classed as ‘eco’ models by the company, being either fully electric, a plug-in hybrid or a hybrid.
Ford Puma still ahead
Taking second place in the new car sales chart for October 2024 was the Ford Puma, with 3,521 examples registered.
It was sufficient to retain the Ford’s lead as the best-selling car of 2024, taking its total for the year to 42,465.
The new Mini Cooper took third place for October, being one of only three non-SUVs among the top 10 best-selling cars for the month.
Fourth place was claimed by the Volvo XC40, followed by the Volkswagen Tiguan in fifth.
Overall new car sales slump
Overall new car sales for October 2024 declined by six percent versus the same month in 2023, according to the SMMT, with a total of 144,288 registrations.
The number of petrol and diesel new cars fell by 14.2 percent and 20.5 percent respectively, with hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles also down, by 1.6 percent and 3.2 percent.
Battery-electric vehicles were the only powertrain type to witness an increase in registrations, with a substantial 24.5 percent jump compared to October 2023.
Sales to private customers declined by 11.8 percent, while business registrations were down by 12.8 percent. Fleet buyers posted a slightly smaller decline, with a fall of 1.7 percent.
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