UK September 2023: Fleets lift market up 21%, 6 SUVs in Top 6, MG places two models in Top 10

The Nissan Qashqai is the best-selling vehicle in the UK in September.

The UK new car market advances 21% year-on-year in the all important September licence plate change month, marking a 14th consecutive positive month. Sales total 272,610 vs. 225,269 last year and represent the highest August volume since 2020. We are however still very far from the 400,000+ sales achieved between 2013 and 2017. The year-to-date tally stands at 1,451,908, up 20.2% over the same period in 2022. Once again we witness the almost exact swapping of market share between private and fleet sales, with private sales up just 5.8% to 122,944 and 45.1% share vs. 51.6% a year ago and fleet sales up 40.8% to 52.5% share vs. 45.2% in September 2022. Business sales are down -12% to 6,410 and 2.4% share. Year-to-date, the situation is similar with private sales up 1.8% to 650,386 and 44.8% share vs. 52.9% last year and fleet sales surging 42.3% to 766,893 and 52.8% share vs. 44.6%. Business sales gain 14.4% to 34,629 and 2.4% share also.

As for sales by fuel and propulsion, diesel is down -4.2% to 9,896 and 3.6% share vs. 4.6% in September 2022, petrol is up 15% to 105,463 and 38.7% share vs. 40.7% a year ago, HEVs are up 30.7% to 38,014 and 13.9% share vs. 12.9%, MHEVs gain 26.5% to 55,379 and 20.3% share vs. 19.4% a year ago, PHEV soar 50.9% to 18,535 and 6.8% vs. 5.5% last year and BEVs score a 41st consecutive year-on-year gain at +18.9% to 45,323 but given this growth is below the market their share drops from 16.9% in September 2022 to 16.6% now. Year-to-date, diesel is down -15.4% to 56,686 and 3.9% share  vs. 5.5% last year, petrol is up 13.3% to 595,946 and 41% vs. 43.5% a year ago, HEVs surge 28.2% to 182,556 and 12.6% share vs. 11.8%, MHEVs are up 24.9% to 279,183 and 19.2% share vs. 18.5%, PHEVs soar 33.8% to 98,993 and 6.8% share vs. 6.1% and BEVs lift 35.8% to 238,544 and 16.4% share vs. 14.5% over the same period in 2022.

Source: SMMT

In the brands ranking, Volkswagen (+17.5%) keeps the lead despite trailing the market slightly, it is followed like in August and year-to-date by Ford (-0.4%) and a surging Audi (+47.2%). Kia (+13%), Toyota (+6.8%) and Nissan (+7.4%) follow with lukewarm results. Mercedes (+44.2%), Vauxhall (up an unusual 38.9%) and MG (+44%) all show spectacular gains below. MG even lodges its largest ever monthly volume (12,616), eclipsing the 12,232 it hit last March, and scores its 2nd highest ranking and share (#9 and 4.6%) below the #7 and 5.6% of last January. Peugeot (+55.5%), Skoda (+37%), Renault (+81.3%) and Volvo (+76.8%) all impress further down. Tesla is down a damning -35.6% to #16.

Model-wise, the Nissan Qashqai (-8%) shoots back up to the pole position, its first since last November. This way, it climbs from #4 to #2 in the YTD charts. Keep in mind the Qashqai topped the Full Year ranking in 2022 for the first time. Still by for the #1 YTD, the Ford Puma (+39.5%) is relegated to 2nd place in September but sports a fantastic gain. It is followed by the Kia Sportage (+12.4%) and the Ford Kuga (+2.6%). The MG ZS at #5 and Hyundai Tucson (+20.4%) at #6 make the Top 6 entirely composed of SUVs for the first time in UK history. It’s the ZS’s third incursion in the monthly UK top ten and a new ranking record eclipsing the #6 it reached in November 2021. MG even places two nameplates inside the Top 10 for the first time in history with the HS appearing at #10. Surprisingly, the Tesla Model Y is outside the Top 10 (by just one sale) and falls one spot in the YTD charts to #4.

Previous month: UK August 2023: Ford Puma and Tesla Model Y top market up 24.4%

One year ago: UK September 2022: Nissan Qashqai and Tesla Model Y top market up a shy 4.6%

Full September 2023 Top 45 All brands and Top 10 models below.