Top Selling Cars in the UK in 2021

In 2021, the sale of new cars remained at a near 20 year low, with less than 1.65m new motor vehicles entering the market. The ongoing impact of the Covid-19 global pandemic, resulting in factory closures, disruptions to supply chains, coupled with the semi-conductor chip shortage has hampered new vehicle production. As a result, we have seen a major shake-up of the most popular new car sales here in the UK. The ever-popular Ford Fiesta is nowhere to be seen in the top 10, and the Vauxhall Corsa has stormed to the top spot, beating the Tesla Model 3 by some margin.

Here we take a look at the top 3 vehicles sold in 2021, the Vauxhall Corsa, Tesla Model 3, and the Mini Hatchback. You can check out our best lease deals on the top 3 cars, and indeed all of the cars in the top 10, by heading over to our car search by clicking here https://www.trioleasing.co.uk/

3rd - Mini Hatchback (31,792 registrations) 

The Mini’s rise from 7th in 2020 to a very respectable 3rd place finish in 2021 is quite remarkable taking into account that BMW was forced to stop production lines at its Oxford plant in April 2020 due to the worldwide semiconductor shortages. Despite this interruption and the inevitable backlog caused by the delays when operations resumed, BMW still managed to sell 31,792 units. The strong sales have been supported by the super popular Mini Electric, which is also built at the factory in Oxford. The mini electric was the 7th best-selling pure electric vehicle sold in 2021. In 2018 the Mini had a mini-facelift, resulting in tweaked exterior styling, enhanced personalisation options, even more technology fitted making it even an even more desirable proposition. There were further subtle enhancements made in early 2021 to keep the car looking fresh. There is no doubt that the Mini is an upmarket and fashionable hatchback. It retains its much loved retro styling combining it with a great driving experience, in 2021 it fended off strong competition from the Audi A1, and the VW Polo. An all-around classic car, we think the Mini will be in the top 10 for some time yet. It’s similarly priced to the Vauxhall Corsa, and in the same way that the Corsa ticks a lot of boxes so does the Mini. It’s a fun car to drive, and it still captures the quirky retro looks of the Minis of old. If fun and quirky are your thing this might just be the perfect car for you. 

2nd - Tesla Model 3 (34,783 registrations)

The Tesla Model 3 is the biggest climber in the sales charts in 2021, jumping 12 places from 14th (in 2020) in the charts, finishing up in 2nd place. I will point out at this point that I am a fully paid-up member of the Tesla fan club, this is my take on the exceptional Model 3. Elon Musks Tesla Model 3 is a groundbreaking car, the automotive equivalent of Steve Jobs releasing the original Apple iPhone. In the same way, the Apple iPhone changed the way we view and use mobile phones forever, and made the whole industry change the way they manufacture mobile phones. Elon Musk brought to market a genuine, realistic alternative to petrol/diesel-powered vehicles. The Tesla Model 3 wasn’t Tesla’s 1st electric car, there was the roadster (2008), the Model S (2012), and the Model X (2014). All excellent cars in their own right, the main problem with these 3 frontrunners in the EV market, was that the prices ranged from £50k-£92k, hardly an attainable mainstream electric option for most people. Undoubtedly, these early Teslas paved the way for the  Model 3 to come along and change the way we view electric cars forever. The Model 3 has changed the way cars we view electric cars and has forever changed how cars will be manufactured. The Model 3 was the first attainable, well as attainable as a new executive BMW, Audi, Mercedes, and desirable electric car, at around £35k when first introduced in the UK. Finally, a fully electric vehicle for the masses, with a useable real-world range of over 300 miles on a single charge. The tech-packed Model 3 is a delight, your mobile phone becomes your car key, unlocking the car as you open the handle, and starting the car seamlessly, no stop/start button in sight. Using the Tesla app on your mobile phone you can program the car to pre-condition the cockpit on frosty mornings, ensuring all your windows are crystal clear, your seats are nice and toasty and the internal temperature is whatever your heart desires, just waiting for you to get in, belt up and be on your way. The simplistic and futuristic interior is dominated by a huge Ipad like screen, from which all, and I repeat all the cars functions are operated. To clarify, you want to open the glove box, it’s on the screen, you want to open the frunk (English say bonnet and boot, Americans say hood and trunk, hence the term frunk = front-trunk/bonnet…..) it’s on the screen. There are no driving dials behind the steering wheel, you’ve guessed it, your speed and remaining battery are all displayed on the screen. It sounds strange but you get used to it fairly quickly, well except for opening the glovebox, I always found that tricky to navigate within the menus. There is a panoramic roof as standard which is tinted to stop you from being blinded by the sun, when the sun comes out to play.  As the driver, you don’t notice the roof, however, it looks fantastic from the rear seats flooding in natural light for the passengers in the back. Driving the Model 3 is a game-changer, almost silent to drive, instant speed when you need to go, effortless overtaking, lightening off the mark making a futuristic whoosh as you speed off, self-driving capability, a multitude of cameras for safety. Furthermore, Tesla has the best network of reliable superfast chargers, meaning that depending on your locality to the nearest Tesla superchargers, you could potentially run a Tesla Model 3 without a home charger, I did exactly that for 8 months. That said, I would always recommend getting a home charger for peace of mind. The ability to charge the Model 3 overnight at super cheap, off-peak electric rates, is a no-brainer, and removes any element of range anxiety knowing you have a full charge every morning. With over-the-air vehicle updates via home wifi, Tesla will update the software of your car while it sits on your drive. Adding extra range, power, games, media tweaks, and improving the general performance, Tesla makes owning a Model 3 a real pleasure. The Tesla Model 3 is my top pick to be the best-selling car in 2022!

1st - Vauxhall Corsa (40,914 registrations)

The Vauxhall Corsa has come a long way from seemingly being every boy/girl racers car of choice back in the early-mid 2000s. It was a quite rare sight to see a standard Vauxhall Corsa on the road back in those days, big alloy wheels, body kits, spoilers, tinted windows, and loud big bore exhausts were all common mods on the Vauxhall Corsa. The Corsa quickly became one of the most popular cars to modify on the car modding scene. Fast forward 20yrs and it is easy to see why the Corsa remains one of the most common cars on the road today. Its advanced driving safety features and technology offer fantastic value for money. It’s the perfect small car accommodating a wide audience, it’s suitable for, well…. just about anyone. Perfect for 1st-time drivers who want something small and maneuverable. It’s great for commuters both inner-city drivers and comfortable enough for those with longer commutes. Ideal for short school runs or trips to the shops. It’s cheap to buy starting from £17,380, cheap to run, reliable, inexpensive parts, servicing and repairs, cheap to insure, what’s not to love? It comes with good levels of tech and comfort, it looks great, it’s nippy to drive rather than sporty, but luckily it doesn’t try too hard to be sporty. It’s a perfect all-rounder. Adding all these things together it’s easy to see why the Vauxhall Corsa was the UK’s top-selling car in 2021. The big question is will the humble Corsa be able to fend off the electrifying Tesla Model 3 in 2022?