The top 10 best‑selling cars in Britain 2022

10. Kia Niro

Like the Kia brand as a whole, the Niro small SUV has become a common fixture on UK driveways in recent times. Recently revised for its second-generation, the Niro is the 10th most popular new car registered in Britain, so far in 2022. A completely electrified powertrain mix consists of conventional hybrid, plug-in hybrid and fully-electric options, the previous-generation version in full-EV form a popular choice among London’s C-Charge embattled Uber drivers. 

9. Tesla Model Y

The SMMT claims that nearly 25,000 Tesla Model Ys have been registered in Britain in 2022. Perhaps that shouldn’t be too surprising, as this is the Tesla to capture European sales. The Model Y is the only Tesla with a European manufacturing base, and as a compact SUV it’s bang on the prevailing family car consensus. The standard rear-wheel drive Model Y combines a single electric motor and battery setup for a maximum range of 267 miles. But the Model Y is also the fastest entry in the top 10, in Performance spec, claiming 0-60mph in 3.5 seconds and a top speed of 155mph. 

8. Ford Kuga

While once the Mondeo was the king of Ford family cars, it’s now extinct in Britain. And though the Blue Oval has a more popular new car in the UK, the Kuga is arguably the Mondeo’s spiritual successor, as a compact family SUV designed to blend a mix of practicality and aspiration. The engine line-up takes in mild-hybrid and plug-in hybrid technology, and though Ford has resisted giving us a hot ST variant, sporty-looking ST-Line versions cover that base for now. 

7. Volkswagen Golf

One of the more evergreen entries, the Golf family hatchback’s enduring popularity has taken a slight dent with the advent of SUVs and crossovers, but it’s still one of the most versatile new cars on sale today. It’s likely the most popular car in the top ten with car enthusiasts, too, given the availability of bona-fide performance options. The Golf GTI enters its eighth-generation, with 245PS (180kW), front-wheel drive, and a six-speed manual gearbox. The Golf R remains the hottest member of the line-up, now available with up to 333PS (245kW) going through the all-wheel drive system in the new ‘20 years’ special edition marking two decades since the arrival of the Mk4 based Golf R32.

6. Hyundai Tucson

The Tuscon is one of three Korean cars in the UK top ten in 2022. It’s a marker of how rapid the nation’s automotive industry has grown in a decade, given there were no entrants from South Korea in the UK top ten a decade ago. The latest Tucson’s most appealing (or divisive, depending on how it sits with you) feature is its striking and unconventional appearance, headlined by a front end adorned with what the brand calls its “Parametric Hidden Lights.” As a show of Hyundai’s increasingly premium-market ambitions, the Tucson is the first car from the brand to be offered with adaptive damping technology typical of the German establishment.

5. Kia Sportage

The Kia Sportage has cemented a place as one of Britain’s most popular SUVs, affirming that Kia is now a mainstream brand in the UK. The first Sportage arrived here in 1995, and continued on sale until 2003, during which the Korean marque shifted just over 10,800. In a challenging 2022 for all car brands in Britain, almost 29,000 Sportages have been registered – quite the leap forward. The new one ticks all the family car boxes, with value for money, tech, practicality all covered along with a selection of electrified drivetrains. 

4. Mini Hatch

A familiar face and name, the British public’s love for the Mini hatch has not waned in the face of the relentless march of SUVs, even from within its own ranks by the launch of the Countryman. The current-generation BMW Mini is long in the tooth, introduced in 2014 and subsequently facelifted twice, most recently last year with a strong round of cosmetic updates. However, that doesn’t seem to be putting the buying public off, with over 29,000 registered so far in 2022. A new, all-electric version of the firm favourite will arrive next year, with a final petrol-powered variant expected soon after. 

3. Ford Puma 

When Ford revived the Puma name 2019, it took the same approach as the ‘90s original, by leveraging the platform of the popular Fiesta supermini and using these humble underpinnings to develop a more desirable and profitable car. The glaring difference though, is that today’s Puma is not a small coupe, but a small SUV. The new Puma has really found its feet in 2022, and is now Ford’s main bread-winner in Britain. Its rapid rise may have come at the expense of the Fiesta though. The supermini was long Britain’s best-selling car, but dropped out of the top ten in 2021. Designed to package the Fiesta’s fun driving dynamics into a larger and more comfortable package, the Puma also comes in hot ST guise, with 200PS (147kW) from the same turbocharged 1.5-litre three-cylinder petrol engine used in the Fiesta ST. 

2. Vauxhall Corsa

While the Fiesta has fallen off the radar, its long-term adversary, the Vauxhall Corsa just keeps chugging along. The Corsa was the most popular new car in Britain in 2021, and while it looks set to lose its title in 2022, it’s still putting up impressive numbers. The latest car benefits from a technological basis gifted to it by the former PSA Group (now a part of Stellantis), which bought Opel and Vauxhall from General Motors before GM-owned Vauxhall launched its own ‘Corsa F’. The subsequent re-engineering under new ownership saw the Corsa adopt the CMP platform of the Peugeot 208, and with it, the option of a fully-electric powertrain for the first time in a Vauxhall.

1. Nissan Qashqai  

Is it all that surprising to see the car that started the crossover craze at the top of the pile? 2022’s most popular new car, according to the SMMT, is the Nissan Qashqai. Now in its third-generation, over five-million Qashqais have been sold globally. The new version – designed in Britain – appears to be continuing the car’s British success story. It’s been designed to feel a bit more premium than its Mk2 predecessor, with mild-hybrid and ‘e-power’ hybrid options available, using electric motors to drive the wheels while a petrol engine acts as a power source for a compact lithium-ion battery.