Volkswagen is the UK’s most popular car brand, with 8.92% of registered vehicles in the UK last year belonging to the German manufacturer.

That’s according to the newest study from Confused.com (Q2, 2022). The research analyses GOV.UK(1) vehicle registration data to uncover the changes in the UK’s car brand preferences between 2009 to 2020. The research reveals which car brands have been the most consistently popular, as well as identifying the specific models that are most favourable among UK drivers today.

The company that conducted the study

The results:

In 2021, Volkswagen was the most popular manufacturer with a market share of 8.92% - 1.82% more than Audi in second place. Volkswagen’s market share has been steadily increasing since 2016, when it was the third most popular brand in the UK (7.61% market share). Last year, Volkswagen overtook Ford as the UK’s favourite car brand for the first time since 2009.

German brands are increasing in popularity

By 2021, 3 in 10 (29.01%) of registered vehicles in the UK were made by a German manufacturer, including Volkswagen, Audi, BMW and Mercedes. It’s estimated that German manufacturers produced 3.10 million units in 2021 – almost double (98%) the units produced by the USA (1.56 million).

In 2009, however, Volkswagen was the only German brand in the top 5 most popular manufacturers in the UK, with a market share of 8.04%. Now, Volkswagen, BMW, Mercedes and Audi make up 40% of the top 10 most popular brands.

UK brands unpopular among British car owners

It’s surprising that British car manufacturers such as Vauxhall and MINI are less favourable among UK drivers. From 2016 to 2020, the number of registered Vauxhalls decreased by 4%, and in 2017 Volkswagen overtook Vauxhall to become the second most popular brand. But, from 2009 until 2016, Vauxhall held second place, with at least 10% of registered vehicles belonging to the manufacturer.

MINI was only the 15th most popular brand in the UK in 2021, accounting for 2.76% of registered vehicles - 2.75% less than Vauxhall. Since 2012, however, MINI’s market share in the UK has slowly been increasing. Perhaps this is thanks to BMW’s £750 million investment into UK production between 2012 and 2015(3).

First-time driver cars are the UK’s most popular models

Despite the overall number of Vauxhalls on the road decreasing over the last decade, the Vauxhall Corsa is currently the UK’s most popular car model. Known for their reliability and popularity among first-time drivers, Corsas make up 2.48% of all registered vehicles in the UK. That's 0.46% more than Volkswagen Golf in second place (2.02%).

Historically, Fords have always been the most popular choice among British drivers. From 2001 to 2008, the Ford Focus was the most favoured car with over 5% of the market share.This was then overtaken by the Ford Fiesta in 2008, when over 1 in 20 (5.80%) of registered vehicles in the UK were a Fiesta. Since then, the Fiesta has gradually decreased in popularity, with the Vauxhall Corsa (2.48% market share) and Volkswagen Golf (2.02%) overtaking in 2021.

Alex Kindred, car insurance expert at Confused.com comments:

“When getting a quote for car insurance, the type of car you drive is a key consideration for insurers. This comes into play especially when looking at the cost of repairs. Typically, cars made by manufacturers with a higher production rate could be cheaper to insure. This is because parts are much easier to obtain, and therefore makes the overall repair process cheaper.

“If you’re looking to buy a new car, always research how much it would cost to insure, as you might find that your dream car could cost you significantly more to run.”