The Ford Puma is still top three months into the race for the UK’s best-selling car, but a table-topping month of sales for the Nissan Qasqhai in March sees the British-built SUV close the gap.
According to data published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) this week, the overall new car market actually fell by 8% last month compared to March last year. This is a bit concerning, as this result was the single worst March sales total since the current twice-yearly number plate change system came into effect in 1999.
After winning the 2023 sales race, the Ford Puma small SUV has made a solid start to 2024 continues to hold on to first in the annual leaderboard. It didn’t finish top in March though, that accolade belongs to the Nissan Qashqai – the best-selling car in 2022 – which now sits in second place overall. As a consequence, the Kia Sportage family SUV drops again to third.
Nissan will also be very pleased by the sales performance of its smaller Juke last month – a fourth place finish enough to rocket the crossover up the annual rankings from tenth to fourth. The Audi A3 also surged up the table, moving up three places.
Conversely, it wasn’t a great month for Volkswagen. Its Golf and T-Roc models remain in the top ten, but both have fallen a single place in the annual rankings. Following the launch of its successor, sales of the ever-successful Mini hatch began to taper off in March, and thus the hatchback falls three places.
Currently the world’s most popular car, the Tesla Model Y has made its second appearance in the monthly best-sellers list, but hasn’t recorded enough sales to appear in the annual top ten just yet.
Read our monthly sales report: Another terrible month for consumer new car sales in March
Top ten best-sellers chart, March 2024
| Rank | Brand | Registrations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nissan Qashqai | 8,931 |
| 2 | Ford Puma | 8,318 |
| 3 | Kia Sportage | 7,445 |
| 4 | Nissan Juke | 7,346 |
| 5 | Audi A3 | 6,010 |
| 6 | Vauxhall Corsa | 5,952 |
| 7 | Mercedes-Benz A-Class | 5,892 |
| 8 | Volkswagen Golf | 5,631 |
| 9 | Tesla Model Y | 5,602 |
| 10 | MG HS | 5,460 |
Britain’s best-selling cars of 2024
1. Ford Puma
The recently-facelifted Ford Puma outsold cars of all shapes and sizes and was crowned Britain’s best-selling new car in 2023. Currently Ford’s most popular offering by a country mile, the Puma has become the model to beat, and its first-place finish in January and February indicates that the crossover’s strong sales form is set to continue.
The Puma has received plenty of praise from the UK motoring media, and currently holds a New Car Expert Rating of A, with a score of 71% on our unique Expert Rating Index.
2. Nissan Qashqai
The Nissan Qashqai remains one of the nation’s most popular cars, and the SUV took top spot in March, leapfrogging the Kia Sportage and closing the sales gap to the Puma to around 500 models.
The Qashqai is the current jewel in the crown of the British car manufacturing industry – designed in London, developed in the Midlands and built in Sunderland. It’s also the UK’s best-selling British-built car. On sale since Autumn 2021, the Qashqai holds a New Car Expert Rating of A, with a score of 75%.
3. Kia Sportage
The Kia Sportage really picked up sales pace in the second half of 2023, and has continued this sales form into the new year. The SUV’s time at the very top did prove to be short-lived, but the Sportage is still selling in consistent numbers and Kia will be pleased. By comparison, its closest competitor the Hyundai Tucson has fallen out of the top ten.
The new Kia Sportage currently holds a New Car Expert Rating of A, with a score of 72% on our award-winning Expert Rating Index.
4. Nissan Juke
On sale since 2019, the UK-built Nissan Juke has established itself as a popular choice of British motorists in the last year, as a cheaper and more compact alternative to the bigger Qashqai.
The biggest mover after March, the crossover now sits in fourth annually, overtaking six other models. The Juke may be cheaper, but the Qashqai is still more popular, with over 3,000 more sales to date.
The Juke currently holds a New Car Expert Rating of B, with a score of 68%. That puts it squarely in the middle of a crowded compact SUV class.
5. Audi A3
A latecomer to the 2023 best-seller shortlist, the Audi A3 snatched ninth in last year’s top ten by a narrow margin as the race approached the finish line. The Audi is another model to carry its sales form into 2024, but up until February the family car was a mainstay towards the bottom of the top ten. After recording over 6,000 sales in March, the A3 has moved up to mid-table.
The Audi A3 currently holds a New Car Expert Rating of A, with a score of 70%.
6. BMW 1 Series
The BMW 1 Series has made sporadic appearances in the monthly top ten charts over the last few years, but the hatchback’s sales haven’t been consistent enough to remain on the annual leaderboard. With supply chain issues easing, could it be a top ten contender in 2024? We aren’t too sure – the 1 Series missed out on the March top ten and falls two places to sixth as a result.
The BMW 1 Series currently holds a New Car Expert Rating of A, with a score of 70%. This is a commendable score, but doesn’t place it at the top of its class.
7. Volkswagen Golf
Volkswagen was the UK’s most popular car manufacturer last year. That said none of the brand’s various models were regular top ten contenders. That looks set to change, as the Golf is establishing itself in mid-table. The car did fall one place after March, however. Leading the T-Roc crossover which is also proving to be popular, this hatch is currently Volkswagen’s best export in the UK.
The Volkswagen Golf currently holds an excellent New Car Expert Rating of A, with a score of 80%.
8. Mini hatch
On sale since 2014, the Mini hatch has been one of the most consistent best-sellers in the last decade. The hatchback finished 2023 in great sales form, and its sixth place finish in February for a ten-year-old car is certainly commendable.
March is another story, though. With the new Mini Cooper arriving this year, this long-standing hatch isn’t matching its previous sales volumes. Mini is now selling the last of this generation’s UK stock.
The Mini hatch currently holds a New Car Expert Rating of D, with a score of 58%.
9. MG HS
Like last year, MG started 2024 in fine sales form, as its large HS SUV sat in fourth after January. But now the SUV’s place in the top ten is looking precarious looking ahead to the coming months. It was absent from the February top ten, but re-appeared in March, and climbs one place to ninth.
First launched in 2019, the MG HS currently holds a New Car Expert Rating of C, with a score of 62% in our revitalised Expert Rating Index.
10. Volkswagen T-Roc
Volkswagen’s most popular SUV-styled offering, the T-Roc has consistently appeared in the UK best-sellers top ten in the last couple of years, but hasn’t sold in high enough numbers to make a lasting impression. It recorded a third place sales finish in February, but didn’t appear in the March SMMT rankings.
The T-Roc currently holds a solid New Car Expert Rating of B, with a score of 67% in our industry-leading Expert Rating Index.
That sums up the March top ten – the April registration results will be announced in the first week of May. Check back soon!
