The Ford Fiesta retains its crown as Britain’s best-selling used car in the second quarter of the year. The Vauxhall Corsa and Ford Focus followed in a market that was dominated by superminis. Meanwhile, the UK’s used car market is shifting into high gear, posting its sixth consecutive quarter of growth. According to the latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), the market revved up by 7.2 per cent in Q2, adding an extra 131,128 cars to British driveways compared to the same period last year.
The first half of 2024 has been a wild ride, with transactions zipping up 6.8 per cent to 3,931,318 units – the best performance since 2016. With these numbers, the market is now only a hairpin turn away from pre-pandemic levels, trailing by a mere 3 per cent.
Gallery: Ford Fiesta 2022
UK's best-selling used cars, Q2 2024
- Ford Fiesta - 77,236
- Vauxhall Corsa - 63,713
- Ford Focus - 59,042
- VW Golf - 58,915
- Mini - 42,658
- BMW 3 Series - 41,740
- Vauxhall Astra - 40,671
- VW Polo - 37,464
- Nissan Qashqai - 36,883
- BMW 1 Series - 32,540
While petrol and diesel still dominate the roads, accounting for a hefty 92.4 per cent of all used car sales, the winds of change are blowing, and they smell a lot like a charging station. Battery electric vehicles have been sparking joy in the second-hand market, with 46,773 of them finding new owners in Q2. That’s a whopping 52.6 per cent jump, bumping their market share to an all-time high of 2.4 per cent. Plug-in hybrids and regular hybrids are also cruising in the fast lane, seeing sales increases of 25.2 per cent and 43.6 per cent, respectively.
Ford Fiesta - UK's favourite used car
“It’s encouraging to see the used car market continue its recovery, with choice and affordability rejuvenated by the new car sector’s sustained run of growth. The increased supply of electric vehicles to second and third owners is helping more motorists make the switch – underlining the importance of energising the new EV market to support a fair transition for all. Maintaining momentum requires reliable, affordable and green EV charging up and down the country and incentives to get all of Britain on board the net zero transition,” Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive, commented.
Black remains the fashion-forward choice for car colours, leading the pack with over 21 per cent of transactions. For those keeping score, gray and blue round out the podium, with silver being unceremoniously dethroned by white in the race for fourth.
Source: SMMT