22 was the worst year for the new car market in three decades.
New car registrations slumped to their lowest point since 1992 as supply chain issues and financial pressures affected car makers around the world in what industry bosses called a “very difficult year”.
Just 1.61 million new cars were registered in 2022 - 2% fewer than in 2021 - and some of the country’s former best-selling stalwarts slumped down the sales charts. Other models, however, soared up the list of the SMMT’s best-sellers, including the Tesla Model Y, which reflected the continued rise of electric cars.
Here are the UK’s 10 best selling cars of 2022:
9. Ford Kuga
The Kuga is the fifth family SUV on this list, proving there’s a healthy demand for such vehicles even in difficult times. Despite being a few years old and lagging behind the Korean pair, the Kuga is still a versatile and practical family vehicle, boosted by the recent addition of full and plug-in hybrid powertrains. | Ford
10. Ford Fiesta
2022 continued the Fiesta’s recent bad run after more than a decade of dominating the new car market. Ford’s famous supermini was the UK’s best-selling car for 12 consecutive years between 2008 and 2020 but fell out of the top 10 entirely in 2021 before clawing its way back into the list with 25,070 registrations in 2022. Ford has already confirmed that the Fiesta’s waning popularity means the model will be discontinued, with the brand focusing on SUVs like the Puma and Kuga as it moves towards an all-electric range. | Ford