UK Full Year 2022: Nissan Qashqai first Asian model #1, Tesla Model Y #3, market down to lowest in 29 years

The Nissan Qashqai is the most popular vehicle in the UK for the first time.

Discover over 55 years of UK Historical Data here.

Supply chain issues mean the UK new car market is down -2% year-on-year in 2022 to 1,614,063 sales. This is the lowest annual volume in 29 years: since 1992 (1.594 million). Private sales defy the market decline with a 2% improvement to 818,509 and 50.7% share vs. 48.7% last year. In contrast fleet sales drop -7.5% to 750,839 to slip below private sales at 46.5% share vs. 49.3% in 2021. Business sales surge 37% to 44,715 and 2.8% share vs. 2% a year ago.

Petrol sales are down -10.4% to 682,473 and 42.3% share vs. 46.3% last year and 55.4% two years ago, diesel is off -38.9% to 82,981 and 5.1% share vs. 8.2% in 2021 and 16% two years ago. MHEV edge down -1.6% to 292,044 units and 18.1% share vs. 18% a year ago, HEV soar 27.6% to 187,948 and 11.6% share vs. 8.9% and PHEV skid down -11.5% to 101,401 and 6.3% share vs. 7%. The success story of the year is the continued and fast improvement of BEV sales: up 40.1% to 267,203 and 16.6% share vs. 11.6% last year and 6.6% two years ago. Strikingly, in December BEV were the most popular powertrain overall with 42,284 sales and a record 32.9% share vs. 42,091 for petrol.

Source: SMMT

Over in the brands ranking, Volkswagen (-10.8%) repeats at #1 with 8.2% share, thinning from 9% in 2021. Down to a historically low 4th place in 2021, Ford (+9%) catches up on some of is lost volume and rallies back up two spots to #2. Note Ford held the YTD top spot until November but got overtaken in December thanks to a stellar score by Volkswagen (10.2% share). As a result Audi (-6.6%) and BMW (-6.8%) both drop one spot and see their share edge down slightly.

Toyota (+1.3%) remains in 5th place and breaks its share record at 6.3%, while Kia (+10.3%) is also at an all-time high at 6.2% share, up two spots on last year to #6. Vauxhall (-8.5%) stays at a paltry 7th place even sank down to a lowest ever #15 in December. Mercedes (-17.4%) suffers at #8 ahead of Hyundai (+15.4%) and Nissan (+12%) both in great shape. Tesla (+57%) is up six ranks to end the year #11, even ranking #1 in December and for the third time ever after April 2020 and December 2021. Cupra (+89.6%), Polestar (+79.3%) MG (+66.8%), DS (+55.5%), Dacia (+54.9%) and Porsche (+33.3%) are among the biggest gainers below. Chinese manufacturer Ora lands at #42.

The Tesla Model Y ranked #1 in March and December.

Model-wise, after 12 consecutive years of domination of the Ford Fiesta ending in 2020, we have a third leader in as many years with the Nissan Qashqai (+42.7%) surging from #7 in 2021 to #1 this year thanks to the new generation and its local production facilitating deliveries. This is the first ever Asian model to top the UK charts and the first SUV to do so as well. The Qashqai topped the monthly charts four times this year. Leader in 2021, the Vauxhall Corsa (-12.2%) drops to #2 this year but only 822 sales separate the #2 from #4 in an increasingly fragmented market. The Tesla Model Y, new for 2022, leaps directly into third place thanks partly to surreal December sales (8.3% share). It also ranked #1 in March.

The Ford Puma (+22.3%) continues to gear up and gains four spots on last year to land at #4. It was #3 at end November. The Mini (+1.9%) drops two ranks to #5 while the Kia Sportage (+7.4%) is up three to a record 6th place (it topped the charts outright in January). The Hyundai Tucson lodges its first ever Top 10 finish in the UK at #7, distancing the VW Golf (-12.2%) and Ford Kuga. Relegated outside the Top 10 in 2021 (after finishing #1 in 2020!), the Ford Fiesta (-7.1%) is back to #10. #2 in 2021, the Tesla Model 3 (-45.2%) is kicked outside the Top 10. Below you will also find a Top 10 BEV ranking, with the Tesla Model Y and Model 3 on top ahead of the Kia e-Niro.

Previous year: UK 2021: VW #1, outsells Ford for the first time, Vauxhall Corsa and Tesla Model 3 top market up 1%

Two years ago: UK 2020: Market hit -29.4% by two Covid lockdowns, Ford Fiesta teased by Vauxhall Corsa, Ford Puma and Volvo XC40 in Top 10

Full Year 2022 Top 42 brands and Top 10 models and Top 10 BEV vs. Full Year 2021 figures below.

Full December 2022 Top 42 brands and Top 10 models below.