UK February 2022: BMW #1, Vauxhall Mokka #3 and Tesla Model Y #4 in market up 15%

The Vauxhall Mokka is up to #3 in the UK in February.

Always a low month before the license plate change of March, in February the UK market rises 15% year-on-year on a locked down February 2021 to 58,994 sales. The year-to-date tally is now up 23% to 174,081. When discounting 2021, this is however the lowest February volume since 2009. Private sales lead the charge at +30% to 27,784 units and 47.1% share vs. 41.7% a year ago, while fleet sales are a lot more shy at +2% to 29,891 and 50.7% share vs. 57.1% in 2021 and business sales are up 110.7% to 1,319 and 2.2% share vs. 1.2%. Year-to-date, private sales soar 51.8% to 90.084 and 51.7% share vs. 41.9% a year ago, fleets edge up 0.5% to 80,708 and 46.4% share vs. 56.7% and business sales are up 71.7% but remain marginal at 3,289 units and 1.9% share vs. 1.4%.

In terms of alimentation, petrol is down -10.5% to 23,952 and 40.6% share vs. 52.1% a year ago, diesel implodes -42% to 3,922 and 6.6% vs. 13.2% and MHEV is up 15.1% to 9.143 and 15.5% share, unchanged on 2021. Sales of BEV surge 196.3% to 10,417 and 17.7% share vs. 6.9% a year ago while PHEV is up 48.9% to 4,677 and 7.9% share vs. 6.1% and HEV is up 115.4% to 6,883 and 11.7% vs. 6.2% in February 2021. Year-to-date, petrol is up 5.3% to 75,420 and 43.3% share vs. 50.6% a year ago, diesel is down -44.4% to 9,930 and 5.7% share vs. 12.6% in 2021 and MHEV is up 29.5% to 17.1% share vs. 162% a year ago. BEV is up 154.2% to 24,850 and 14.3% share vs. 6.9%, PHEV is up 47.8% to 13,724 and 7.9% share vs. 6.6% and HEV is up 103.6% to 20,375 and 11.7% share vs. 7.1% a year ago.

Source: SMMT

Over in the brands ranking, BMW (+16.3%) signs its second ever monthly win after last November with 7.8% share. Vauxhall (+33%) more than doubles the market growth and gains 5 spots on January to land in 2nd place, its highest ranking since April 2020. Ford (-13.3%) continues to skid down but is up three ranks on last month to #3, its highest position since last August. Surprise #1 in January, Kia (+32.1%) continues to vastly outpace the market but drops three spots to #4. It however remains #1 YTD for now. Toyota (+55.9%) manages the largest year-on-year gain in the Top 8 but is stuck to 5th place, a ranking it also held over the Full Year 2021. Hyundai (+147.7%) and Peugeot (+38.4%) also shine in the remainder of the Top 10 while just outside, Tesla (+2767.8%) scores a surreal uptick at #11 and 4.4% share. Honda (+226.9%), Cupra (+189.7%), Mazda (+142.9%), Porsche (+95.3%), Mini (+63.1%) and Citroen (+57.1%) also impress further down.

Model-wise, in another very volatile month the Vauxhall Corsa (+41.8%) manages to reclaim the pole position both for the month ad year-to-date as last month’s leader, the Kia Sportage (-11.6%) disappears from the Top 10. The Mini is back up two spots on January to #2 while the Vauxhall Mokka is up four to #3, a new ranking record for this generation and the best result for the Mokka nameplate since it hit #3 in August 2017. The Tesla Model Y lands directly in 4th place overall, followed by the Tesla Model 3. The Kia Niro is down three ranks on January to a still very respectable #6, distancing the Ford Puma (+27.3%). The Peugeot 2008 is up to a new record #8 for its third appearance in the UK Top 10 after last December (#9) and October (#9). It’s also a ranking record for the Hyundai Kona at #9, eclipsing its previous best of #10 hit last July in a second ever appearance in the UK Top 10. The Ford Kuga (-0.8%) is back inside the Top 10 for the first time since April 2021.

Previous month: UK January 2022: Kia and Sportage take control in market back up 27.5%

One year ago: UK February 2021: Sales plunge -35.5% to lowest February since 1959, Volvo, Kia, MG resist

Full February 2022 Top 40 All-brands and Top 10 models below.