The 12 ways Britain's new car buying tastes changed in a decade

Much can change in a decade – and that includes the world of motoring.

The last 10 years has seen a seismic shift for the industry, including the advent of mainstream electric cars, an infamous emissions cheating scandal, a boom in SUV sales and emergence of new brands from the US and China.

Throw into the mix a global pandemic, temporary closure of factories and a two-year parts supply shortage that some manufacturers recovered while others continued to struggle to fulfill orders, and the automotive landscape looks dramatically different to how it did before.

But what impact has all this had on the cars Britons buy from showrooms?

Our analysis into registrations data looks at how 12 ways  buying habits and trends have developed between 2013 and 2023.

*On the image below, hover over the brand logos to see how annual sales for each popular manufacturer has changed over the course of a decade. 

1. Demise of diesel

The fall in demand for diesel cars has been well documented in recent years.

Since the diesel emissions cheating scandal hit front pages in 2015, sales of new oil burners have gone into reverse.

This statistics are also tempered by the fact many manufacturers are dramatically reducing – if not culling – their diesel engine options in showrooms.

And our comparison to a decade ago shows the dramatic impact it has hand on diesel sales.

How much have diesel car sales fallen off a cliff edge in the last decade? In 2013, one in two new motors registered were oil burners. Last year, that ratio fell to fewer than one in 13

In 2013, 49.8 per cent [yes, half!] of all new car registrations were diesels. That was more than petrols (48.8 per cent) while ‘alternative fuel vehicles’ – both hybrids and electric vehicles (EVs) combined – represented the remaining 1.4 per cent of sales 10 years ago.

Official registration figures for 2023 from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) show that a mere 7.5 per cent of new car sales were diesels – that’s fewer than one in 13 motors entering the road last term, down from one in two.

Despite the huge decline in diesel appetite, petrols retain at a similar level of market share as they did a decade ago due to the growth in uptake of hybrids and EVs.

Unleaded-powered models made up 47.4 per cent of registrations last year, which is 1.4 percentage points down on a decade ago.

As such, the rise in greener vehicle sales means the average CO2 emission output for new cars has fallen by 15 per cent from 128.3g/km in 2013 to 108.9 last year. 

2. Brands that have disappeared, like Mitsubishi 

The highest profile name to disappear from the UK market in the last decade is arguably Mitsubishi. Back in 2013, it was selling around 9k cars a year but European operations were ceased in 2020 as part of a cost-saving strategy

Checking back to 2013 registration data shows a number of brands that are no longer available in the UK for one reason or another.

The most notable disappearance is Mitsubishi, which in 2013 made up a fraction (0.4 per cent) of all registrations with a shade over 9,000 sales that year – which is almost on par with EV brand Polestar in terms of total units last year.

Mitsubishi left the UK market in 2020 as part of a cost-saving strategy that initially involved exiting Europe altogether. While it reversed that decision and has since streamlined its European presence to 17 markets, the UK isn’t one of them.

Chrysler, Infiniti, Proton, Perodua and Saab (with just four registrations in 2013 having gone into administration two years earlier) are other manufacturers that appeared in the sales charts a decade ago but are no longer with us in Britain today.

Chevrolet was selling over 11,600 cars in Britain in 2013 with a number of rebranded GM models. It was pulled from the UK market in 2015, though you can still buy a right-hand-drive Corvette in Britain today

Chevrolet is worth mentioning too.

Back in 2013, it was selling General Motors-platform models like the Aveo, Captiva, Spark and Trax. With 11,600 registrations that year, it made up 0.5 per cent of the UK new car market.

In 2015, GM chose to pull the brand from the UK market due to a combination of factors, including challenging market conditions, low sales, and the decision to focus on other markets where the brand had stronger sales and growth potential.

Today, the UK arm of the US marque now only sells Britons the Corvette sports car – and it shifted 102 of them last term.

3. New kids on the block (it’s not just Tesla)

Having arrived in the UK officially in 2014, Tesla is without question the biggest newcomer in the last decade

China’s BYD (Dolphin pictured left) and Great Wall (Ora Cat pictured right) have recently entered the UK market

The most obvious name on the UK car sales list that wasn’t there a decade ago in Tesla, which officially didn’t start offering its EVs in Britain until 2014.

And the other new kids on the block are also EV brands, including the aforementioned Polestar, China’s BYD and Great Wall Motors Ora, as well as new US start-up, Fisker.

Cupra is one of the new spin-off brands. It was the biggest seller of them all last year, tallying an impressive 25,658 registrations (Cupra Formentor pictured)

Other spin off brands include Alpine – Renault’s sports car sister marque selling the A110 (pictured right) – and Genesis, the luxury arm of Hyundai (Genesis GV60 EV pictured right)

A number of new spin-offs of existing manufacturers have also seen the market expand, with the likes of Citroen’s luxury arm DS Automobiles,  Alpine – the performance branch of Renault – and Seat’s sister marque Cupra all emerging in the last 10 years.

The latter was the biggest seller of all the spin offs last year, with Cupra tallying an impressive 25,658 registrations, which is only marginally behind Seat (32,177) as bosses said in 2013 that the new marque would likely replace the old one before the end of the decade.

Genesis, the premium wing of Hyundai, is the latest spin-off example arriving in Britain in 2021. 

As such, there’s a wider availability of brands across the UK’s mainstream car market, rising from 41 makers in 2013 to 46 last year.

4. UK new car market is no longer dominated by a select few brands

In 2013, one in ever three cars sold in Britain was made by Ford, Vauxhall or Vauxhall. But these brands have lost their stronghold on the market today as more choice is available to buyers

In 2013, three brands were dominating the UK new car market; Ford, Vauxhall and Volkswagen. Motors sold by these three companies alone accounted for one in every three registrations (33.4 per cent) that year.

Fast forward a decade and the top three performers (VW, Ford and Audi) accounted for less than one in four (23.3 per cent) of UK sales by brand.

Ford’s stronghold on Britain’s new car market has also weakened.

Not only has it slipped behind VW in terms of the best-selling brands, its 13 per cent market share of 2013 is now down to 7.5 per cent. Essentially, this is a decline from around one in eight new motors a decade ago to one in 14 in the present day.

This is despite Ford’s Puma being the nation’s best-selling model last year.

The SMMT’s data also shows that buyers are buying from a broader spectrum of brands.

In 2013, 22 makes had a market share of the UK market of 1 per cent of more; in 2023, this number grew to 26 manufacturers.

5. Small cars still the most commonly bought – but SUVs are closing the gap

In 2013, 11% of the new car market was SUVs. A decade later, they accounted for almost 3 in 10 (29%) new models entering the road. Yet superminis remain Britain’s favourite… for now

Small cars remain the most popular across all vehicle types in the UK – as has been the case for a very long time.

However, SUVs are gradually closing the gap as more drivers switch to larger, high-riding models.

In 2013, official registrations data shows that two in five (39.5 per cent) of all new models entering the road were city cars or superminis.

While they remain the most commonly purchased new cars today, their now represent just one in three (30.4 per cent) registrations.

This is because SUV are eating into their market dominance.

A decade ago, ‘dual purpose’ vehicles represented only 11 per cent of the market.

But a boom in demand in recent years has seen SUVs grow the nation’s second most popular car type, making up 28.6 per cent of all registrations.

In contrast, appetite for medium-sized family hatchbacks have gone in the opposite direction – we’ll get to this shortly in point number 8 below.

6. The electrifying rebirth of MG (which now sells more cars in Britain than Skoda and Volvo)

The last decade has seen a huge shift change for MG. The relaunched badge under Chinese ownership had the much-maligned MG6 on sale in 2013 and was the 38th most popular brand. Roll on to 2023 and it has a fleet of respected EV models and is the 11th biggest-selling make

The return of the MG badge to the British market is going great guns.

Under Chinese ownership, the relaunched marque today predominantly sells budget-friendly electric models – and quite a lot of them at that.

The MG4 was Britain’s second most popular new EV in 2023 with 21,715 sold. Only the Tesla Model Y was purchased in greater numbers last year (35,899).

As such, MG is the biggest mover in terms of increased market share in the last decade is MG.

Having returned to the UK scene under SAIC Motor (Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation) ownership in 2011, MG Motor UK in 2013 had just its much-maligned MG6 saloon on sale in Britain – which explains its paltry 0.02 per cent market share that year.

But in recent years, the brand’s EV shift has seen its popularity blossom.

From being the 38th most popular brand a decade ago, last year it was the 11th overall, outselling the likes of Skoda, Peugeot, Land Rover, Volvo and Renault.

In fact, it even shifts more motors in Britain than Tesla.

With a market share of 4.27 per cent in 2013, it has increased its footprint on the UK new car market by a staggering 19.094 per cent in 10 years. That’s the biggest rise across all brands over the period reviewed.

7. Dacia doubling its market share is further proof that we Britons love a bargain

Us Britons do love a bargain, as Dacia sales prove. Dacia has increased its market share in the UK from 0.8% in 2013 to 1.5% last year as it shifted over 28,600 units (Sandero pictured)

Like MG, Dacia’s recent growth is proof that us Britons love a bargain.

Our 10-year analysis of the UK new car market is an ideal measure of its rise in popularity, with the Romanian marque returning to the UK (under Renault’s stewardship) in 2013 with the low-cost Sandero and budget-friendly Duster.

In its first year back on British soil, Dacia clocked up just over 17,100 registrations, taking a brand market share of 0.8 per cent in 2013.

Roll on 10 years, the release of new-generation Sanderos and Dusters – as well other models in the range, like the Jogger seven-seat estate car – and the manufacturer has shifted a quarter of a million vehicles to British buyers.

In 2023, 28,651 new Dacias entered the road, which is a stellar performance given the winder decline in vehicle registrations compared to a decade earlier.

It is also a sign of tightening budgets and reduced consumer spending in the recent cost-of-living crunch. 

As such, Dacia has doubled its market share compared to a year ago, rising to 1.5 per cent in the previous 12 months.

8. Just two models from the best sellers list in 2013 appear in the 2023 order

Here’s how the 2013 best sellers list looks in comparison to last year’s. Only the Corsa and Qashqai appear in both

Earlier, we mentioned that Ford’s Puma was Britain’s most bought new car in 2023.

It showcases the dramatic shift in the car market in recent years, with conventional family hatchbacks and saloon that were once popular a decade ago now making up a smaller fraction of sales.

In fact, only two models in the top 10 best sellers of 2013 appear in the 2023 order, despite the fact that every one of the most popular nameplates 10 years ago was still sold in showrooms last year.

The Vauxhall Corsa supermini was Britain’s third most popular new car in both 2013 and 2023

Nissan’s Qashqai was the sixth best-selling new motor of 2013 but in 2023 it has moved up the ranks to second as SUV demand has grown

One exception to the rule for 2024 is the Fiesta, with Ford culling production of Britain’s most bought car of all time (and 2013’s best seller) last summer.

Only the Vauxhall Corsa and Nissan Qashqai appear in the two lists separated by 10 years.

Volume-selling family hatches in 2013 – including the Ford Focus, Vauxhall Astra, Volkswagen Golf and BMW 1 Series – have slipped down the pecking order. 

9. Porsches aren’t that exclusive anymore

Porshce remains a premium brand today but is definitely not as exclusive as it was a decade ago…

The arrival of the Macan has expanded Porsche’s SUV range (while also lowering the entry price point) and Taycan EV (pictured) has broadened the brand’s appeal to a greener audience. As such, Porsche sales hit 24,241 units in 2023 – a marked growth of 194% in a decade

Porsche is undoubtedly a premium brand, but the marque is far less exclusive today than it was a decade ago.

In 2013, the legendary German performance car company represented just 0.4 per cent of the UK market with 8,260 registrations – the majority of which were its Cayenne SUV.

But roll forwards to 2023 and Porsche’s model line-up has expanded – as has its sales volumes.

The arrival of the Macan has expanded Porsche’s SUV range (while also lowering the entry price point) and the Taycan EV has broadened the brand’s appeal to a greener audience.

As such, Porsche sales hit 24,241 units in 2023 – a marked growth of 194 per cent in a decade that saw more British motorists buy cars from their dealers than Fiat, Lexus and Jaguar showrooms.

Porsche’s market share of new cars rose by 250 per cent, climbing from just 0.36 per cent in 2013 to 1.27 per cent last term. Only MG has increased its footprint more in the last 10 years, the SMMT’s data shows.

10. What’s happened to Vauxhall?

Vauxhall has taken a sizable downturn in the UK market in the last decade. More than 1 in 10 new cars in 2013 were Griffin-badged models. By 2023, that ratio has slipped to 1 in 20

Of all the former big players in terms of UK car sales, Vauxhall’s fall from grace is the most dramatic of all.

Wind the clocks back a decade and it was the second biggest car maker in terms of vehicle sales, with the Astra duking it out at the top of the sales charts.

In 2013, it sold almost 260,000 cars – that meant more than one in ten (11.46 per cent) new models entering the road that year were Vauxhalls.

But it has suffered a monumental drop-off in popularity since.

In 2023, it has dropped behind Volkswagen, Audi, BMW, Toyota and Kia in terms of outright car registrations.

Last year, just one in 20 new cars were from the make with the Griffin badge, as Vauxhall’s market share slipped to 5.28 per cent. The Astra is nowhere to be seen in the top 10 best selling models.

11. The rise of the Korean marques

Kia has gone from strength-to-strength in the last decade and is now Britain’s sixth favourite car brand. Its vehicles have developed at an alarming rate, such as the Sportage lineage, seen here

Here’s what a Hyundai family saloon looked like in 2013 (i40 pictured left) and what one looks like in 2023 (right, the Ioniq6)

Contrary Vauxhall’s poor recent form, Korean sister brands Hyundai and Kia have enjoyed big success in terms of sales in the last decade.

Already stamping their authority in Britain back in 2013, the pair have gone from strength to strength since, climbing their way up the rankings of the most popular brands among UK drivers.

Kia was the 12th best-selling manufacturer 10 years ago but has since jumped to sixth overall as it now has a greater share of the UK’s new car market than Vauxhall.

Hyundai has experienced similar success, climbing from 11th spot in 2013 to 10th last year as it took hold of 4.6 per cent of the 2023 new car market. 

Both also had models in the top 10 best sellers list last year, with the Kia Sportage (fourth) and Hyundai Tucson (sixth) among the most ordered motors in 2023.

12. Some big European brands are losing their appeal

Some European makes are far less popular now than they were a decade ago, such as Fiat. It has seen its market share in the UK go off a cliff edge

It isn’t just Vauxhall that has seen a downturn in fortunes in the UK market as of late – there are others, too.

And, coincidentally, most fall under the same ownership banner of Stellantis.

The overarching automotive giant is the banner company for Vauxhall (since buying it from General Motors in 2021) and its sister brands Alfa Romeo, Citroen, Fiat and Peugeot – all of which have seen a drastic decline in UK sales in the last decade.

Alfa is down the most with less than 1,500 sales in 2023 (down from almost 5,700 in 2013) and a paltry UK market share of less than 0.1 per cent. It has fallen from Britain’s 29th favourite brand to 35th. 

Fiat, which represented one in fifty new motors in 2013 in 2023 accounted for half as many (slipping from 14th to 27th in popularity), while Citroen (down from 10th to 20th) and Peugeot (down from 8th to 13th) have also seen big falls in market share as a result of fewer registrations today.