The Ford Fiesta may be out of production now but the model continues to play a very important role in the UK’s used car market. It’s still the best-selling second-hand car in Britain with a solid lead ahead of the Vauxhall Corsa.
In general, the UK’s used car market experienced a significant surge in the first quarter of 2024, achieving a 6.5 per cent increase in transactions. According to the latest figures released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), 1,967,923 units were sold, marking the strongest start to the year since pre-pandemic 2019.
Gallery: Ford Fiesta 2022
This growth signifies 16 consecutive months of rising sales, attributed to improving supply in the new car market, which has enhanced the availability and variety of second-hand vehicles. Despite the positive trend, transactions for the quarter were still 2.6 per cent below pre-Covid levels.
As mentioned, the Fiesta took the crown during the first quarter of the year with 80,814 sales, followed by the Corsa with 66,821 sales. The Ford Focus came third (60,058), while the VW Golf (59,810) and Mini (42,102) rounded out the Top 5 list. Below is the Top 10 list for Q1.
- Ford Fiesta - 80,814
- Vauxhall Corsa - 66,821
- Ford Focus - 60,058
- Volkswagen Golf - 59,810
- Mini - 42,102
- Vauxhall Astra - 41,521
- BMW 3 Series - 40,063
- Volkswagen Polo - 39,193
- Nissan Qashqai - 37,041
- Audi A3 - 31,434
Despite the growing popularity of electrified vehicles, conventional powertrains continued to dominate the market. Petrol car sales rose by 7.7 per cent to 1,130,396 units, while diesel sales saw a slight decline of 1.3 per cent, totalling 697,718 units. Combined, these vehicles accounted for 92.9 per cent of all transactions, although their market share has slightly decreased by just over two percentage points compared to Q1 2023.
Superminis maintained their position as the most popular vehicle type, with sales increasing by 7.2 per cent to 640,711 units. The lower medium segment recorded the highest volume gain with a 9.2 per cent increase, translating to 45,301 additional units sold. Dual-purpose vehicles, representing 16.0 per cent of the market, experienced the most significant percentage growth at 10.3 per cent.
UK's used car market: latest data
“A reinvigorated new car market is delivering more choice and affordability for used car buyers and, increasingly, they are choosing to go electric. To enable even more drivers to enjoy the benefits of zero-emission motoring, ensuring both supply and demand remains robust is essential. Incentivising new EV uptake and investing in a chargepoint network that is accessible, available and affordable to all will drive the nation’s net zero transition,” Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive, commented.
Source: SMMT