5 January 2023
- December sales growth year-on-year (up 18%) dominated by fleet purchases which grew by 43% as opposed to a 7% drop in private sales
- Buoyant electric car sales delivered impressive 33% market share in December resulting in nearly 17% of the market for 2022
- Tesla Model Y and Model 3 were the best-selling cars in December
- After the Qashqai, the Vauxhall Corsa, Tesla Model Y, Ford Puma and Mini rounded off the top-5 bestselling cars of 2022
- Private new car sales have gradually declined over the last six months, potentially due to the squeeze on household budgets
- Budget brands MG and Dacia sales up by 67% and 55% respectively for the full year
- Results suggest improvements to supply resulting in reduced waiting times, better new car deals and eventually lower used prices later in 2023
The Nissan Qashqai is the first British built car to top the annual sales charts since 1998 in boost for domestic car manufacturing, according to The Car Expert.
Sales of the hugely popular SUV and demand for electric cars – especially the Tesla Model Y and Model 3 – saw December sales rise by 18% year-on-year, with fleet and business purchases growing by 43% and private retail sales slowing by 7%.
The full year results in which various market forces and global economic headwinds provided challenging circumstances saw the market contract by 2%.
Electric car sales, which faltered for a few months due to supply chain issues, bounced back in December with a 33% share of the market, contrasting with sales of diesel cars which managed just 3%.
While the Qashqai topped the sales charts, the Vauxhall Corsa, Tesla Model Y, Ford Puma and Mini rounded off the top-5 bestselling cars of 2022.
Private new car sales have gradually declined over the last six months, potentially due to the cost-of-living crisis and the resulting squeeze on household budgets as well as the rising prices of new cars.
However, budget brands MG and Dacia sales were up by 67% and 55% respectively for the full year compared to 2021. The Spanish brand Cupra also saw sales climb, beating its 2021 results by 90%.
Stuart Masson, Editorial Director at The Car Expert, said: “It is a shot in the arm for British car manufacturing to see the Nissan Qashqai topping the tables for 2022 – it is the first British built car to do so for 24 years. While there are challenges for the sector here in the UK, with two cars built domestically among the top-10 best sellers, there’s a lot to be encouraged by too.
“December saw a very impressive result for electric vehicle sales. We have seen some commentators speculating that demand for EVs could be falling but with November and December sales rocketing, that is clearly not the case. Tesla dominated the sales results in December and its Model Y was the third best seller overall in 2022. Combined with the growing popularity of many other EVs, 2023 is likely to be another bumper year for fully electric vehicles.”
“While the sales results overall paint a fairly positive picture in the face of some very challenging circumstances, it is a point of caution that private retail sales actually fell during the last six months of 2022, no doubt due to the impact of the rising cost of living, triggered by higher interest rates and inflation.”
“The results do, however, suggest that there are some improvements in the supply of new vehicles. As car manufacturers generally prioritise private retail sales due to better margins, the growth of fleet sales suggests that the pressures are starting to ease. This should mean reduced waiting times, better new car deals and eventually lower used car prices later in 2023.”
For expert and impartial advice relating to car finance or tips for purchasing a used vehicle, please visit: www.thecarexpert.co.uk/
ENDS
The Car Expert
Founded in 2011, The Car Expert is the UK’s most comprehensive automotive consumer advice site. With an audience of over two million readers a year, The Car Expert provides independent and impartial advice on every aspect of buying, financing, owning, and selling new or used vehicles.
The Rotten Tomatoes equivalent for the automotive world, The Car Expert consolidates reviews from 30 of the UK’s top automotive websites to create the Expert Rating Index. Bringing together science and data analysis, the index calculates a weighted average to give an aggregated score – Expert Rating – that is comparable across different brands and models.
The Expert Rating Index factors in the age of each review, so that newer reviews carry more weight than older reviews. It also breaks down the complex web of different scoring systems that various websites use in their reviews.
The Car Expert has logged over 14,000 reviews covering more than 400 cars and over 50 manufacturers, with its Expert Rating Index now trusted as the gold standard for rating and ranking new cars in the UK.
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