The most popular cars of July 2024
August 05, 2024 by Tom Wiltshire
Car changing is a big deal
The Kia Sportage was the best-selling new car last month, read on for the top 10 most popular models of July 2024.
What’s the best-selling car in the UK? Well, during July 2024, it was the Kia Sportage SUV.
The Sportage tops the list followed closely by the Nissan Qashqai. The Ford Puma took third place for July, however it’s still the most popular model of 2024 so far.
With more than 147,000 new cars sold during July, it represents a period of growth for UK car sales. Electric cars represented more than 18% of these sales, making them the second most popular fuel type after petrol, with hybrids taking a 14.5% market share.
The top 10 best-selling cars of July 2024 are:
- Kia Sportage
- Nissan Qashqai
- Ford Puma
- Volvo XC40
- Volkswagen Golf
- Hyundai Tucson
- Volkswagen T-Roc
- Nissan Juke
- Volkswagen Polo
- MG HS
1) Kia Sportage
- Number sold: 3,999
- Unique selling point: Reassuring seven-year warranty
- Wowscore: 8/10
- Average Carwow saving: £2,638*
The Kia Sportage takes the top spot as the best-selling car of July 2024, and there’s a lot to like about this family SUV. It’s offered with a range of efficient engines, plenty of standard equipment and it has a brilliant seven-year warranty for added peace of mind.
The styling may not be to everyone’s taste, and a Volkswagen Tiguan is slightly more comfortable, but this is splitting hairs really. The Sportage is easy to drive and practical for everyday driving duties.
2) Nissan Qashqai
- Number sold: 3,633
- Unique selling point: No-nonsense practicality
- Wowscore: 9/10
- Average Carwow saving: £4,589
Nissan Qashqai sales could well be a mixture of the outgoing, pre-facelift model and the brand-new car. The updated model is a pretty mild facelift, and but retains that car’s general excellence across all areas.
It may not have the biggest boot in this class, but the interior is spacious enough for the whole family and you get loads of kit as standard. It’s also properly comfortable to drive.
3) Ford Puma
- Number sold: 3,418
- Unique selling point: Great fun to drive
- Wowscore: 8/10
- Average Carwow saving: £2,171*
It may not have topped the charts for July, but the Ford Puma is still the most popular car of 2024. Over 23,000 of these funky little SUVs have found homes this year, and it’s easy to see why it’s proved so popular.
The Puma is properly fun to drive, has a massive boot and it’s well equipped. It’s a shame that the rear seats are a bit tight, and it’s not as comfortable as something like a Skoda Kamiq, but the Puma is still a great all-rounder.
4) Volvo XC40
- Number sold: 3,055
- Unique selling point: Clever practicality
- Wowscore: 7/10
- Average Carwow saving: £1,881*
The Volvo XC40 is a small SUV that’s getting on in years, but it’s still a big-seller thanks to its combination of clever practicality, chunky looks and a premium badge.
The XC40 is packed with smart storage solutions and its boxy body hides loads of space for a small family – there’s plenty of room in the back seats and a big boot too. The all-electric EX40 version may be the more future-proof one, but the petrol car is clearly the more popular.
5) Volkswagen Golf
- Number sold: 3,009
- Unique selling point: A jack of all trades
- Wowscore: 8/10
- Average Carwow saving: £2,049*
The Volkswagen Golf is all the car most people ever need. It’s spacious, practical, well-made and comfortable to drive. It might not be the most exciting proposition, unless you go for the sporty GTI or the bonkers R models, but for ferrying the family around it’s hard to beat.
The Golf has recently been given a mid-life update, which could be what’s driven this boost in sales. The new version has an improved infotainment system which is easier to use, as well as tweaked styling.
6) Hyundai Tucson
- Number sold: 2,917
- Unique selling point: Generous standard equipment
- Wowscore: 7/10
- Average Carwow saving: £3,946
The Hyundai Tucson frequents the top 10 best-selling cars, and it’s not for any standout reason – it’s just a particularly good all-rounder. It’s closely-related to the Kia Sportage and shares that car’s choice of petrol, hybrid or plug-in hybrid engines.
It’s not the best car in its class to drive, and those looks are divisive – some love them, some hate them – but it’s difficult to dismiss the Tucson.
7) Volkswagen T-Roc
- Number sold: 2,578
- Unique selling point: Stylish, solid and a posh badge
- Wowscore: 7/10
- Average Carwow saving: £2,296*
Sneaking in at number seven is the Volkswagen T-Roc, a small SUV with the allure of that posh VW badge. It’s more stylish than most VW SUVs, too, with those cool daytime running lights, yet remains practical with a spacious interior.
Thanks to a mid-life facelift which addressed the T-Roc’s biggest issue – its cheap-feeling interior – it’s much easier to recommend, though the lack of hybrid or electric engine options could be a dealbreaker for some.
8) Nissan Juke
- Number sold: 2,553
- Unique selling point: Stand-out styling
- Wowscore: 6/10
- Average Carwow saving: £3,855*
The Nissan Juke is a small SUV with a big personality. There are few small SUVs which are as distinctive to look at as the Juke, and it comes rammed with safety kit as standard.
It may not be as practical as a Peugeot 2008 thanks to a small boot and tight rear seats, however the Juke is pretty cheap to buy and for some the styling alone will be the deciding factor.
9) Volkswagen Polo
- Number sold: 2,541
- Unique selling point: A posh small car
- Wowscore: 8/10
- Average Carwow saving: £1,615
With dwindling options for small hatchbacks the Volkswagen Polo’s fast becoming the go-to option – being rather more rounded a proposition than a Toyota Yaris, Hyundai i20 or MG3.
It can be a bit pricey and isn’t exactly exciting, but the Polo feels solid, is comfortable to drive and holds its value well thanks to its classy image.
10) MG HS
- Number sold: 2,445
- Unique selling point: Great value for money
- Wowscore: 5/10
- Average Carwow saving: £3,066*
The MG HS is one of the best-value small SUVs on the market, and the low starting price was likely to be a driving factor behind its popularity in July – possibly helped by dealers trying to get the old car out of the door before the all-new model arrives. It’s cheaper than a lot of small hatchbacks, but it offers a tall driving position and decent standard equipment.
It may not be the best car to drive, a Skoda Karoq is more comfortable, and the interior feels a bit cheap in places. These are the sacrifices you make though when looking at an SUV for this price.
*Average savings correct at the time of writing
Best-selling cars of 2023 revealed: UK car market records its best year since the pandemic
Last year saw the UK market record its best 12 months since the pandemic according to SMMT data, with new car registrations up 17.9% in 2023 compared to the previous year. Sales still haven’t reached pre-pandemic levels, with new registrations still down by around 250,000 in comparison to 2019.
This growth was entirely driven by a spike in fleet sales, which grew by a whopping 38.7% compared to 2022. Private car sales actually fell by 0.1%, while business sales were 1.5% down in 2023.
Electric cars also saw a surge in popularity in 2023, with a 17.8% increase year-on-year and 314,687 EVs wafting off forecourts. Plug-in hybrid sales increased by a whopping 39.3%, and there was a 13.5% jump in the sale of petrol-powered models. Diesel cars appear to be falling out of favour though, with a 13.8% drop in sales for 2023.
The Ford Puma took the sales top spot last year, with 49,591 of these sporty small SUVs finding homes. Below is a list of the top 10 best-selling cars of 2023:
- Ford Puma: 49,591 sold
- Nissan Qashqai: 43,321 sold
- Vauxhall Corsa: 40,816 sold
- Kia Sportage: 36,135 sold
- Tesla Model Y: 35,899 sold
- Hyundai Tucson: 34,469 sold
- Mini 3-door Hatch: 33,385 sold
- Nissan Juke: 31,745 sold
- Audi A3: 30,159 sold
- Vauxhall Mokka: 29,984 sold
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