The BMW 1 Series is up to a highest ever #5 in October.
The UK new car market climbs up 14.3% year-on-year in October to 153,529 units, this is above the pre-pandemic level of October 2019 (143,251). The year-to-date volume is up 19.6% to 1,605,437, the best result since 2019. Fleet sales are solely responsible for the market’s growth in October, as it was also the case in September. They rise 28.8% to 87,479 and 57% share vs. 50.6% in October 2022. Private sales are stable at +0.3% to 62,915 and 41% share vs. 46.7% a year ago while business sales drop -15.2% to 3,135. Year-to-date, here too fleet sales push the market up at +40.8% to 854,372 and 53.2% share vs. 45.2% over the same period in 2022 whereas private sales only manage a meagre 1.6% gain to 713,301 and 44.4% share vs. 52.3%. Business sales are up 11.2% to 37,764.
In terms of propulsion, petrol is up 9.3% to 62,303 and 40.6% share vs. 42.4% a year ago, diesel falls further at -17.1% to 5,261 and 3.4% share vs. 4.7%, MHEV is up 6.4% to 28,163 and 18.3% share vs. 19.7%, HEV up 24.6% to 19,574 and 12.7% share vs. 11.7%, PHEV up 60.5% to 14,285 and 9.3% share vs. 6.6% and BEVs gain 20.1% to 23,943 and 15.6% share vs. 14.8% a year ago. Year-to-date, petrol is up 12.9% to 658.249 and 41% share vs. 43.4% over the first 10 months of 2022, diesel is off -15.6% to 61,947 and 3.9% share vs. 5.5%, MHEV are up 22.9% to 307,346 and 19.2% share vs. 18.6%, HEV is up 27.8% to 202,130 and 12.6% share vs. 11.8%, PHEV is up 36.7% to 113,278 and 7.1% share vs. 6.2% and BEVs are up 34.2% to 262,487 and 16.3% share vs. 14.6% last year.
Source: SMMT
In the brands ranking, Volkswagen (+2%) can only muster a tiny year-on-year growth but remains in the lead of the brands charts with 8.5% share. Audi (+23.6%) delivers a stellar evolution and its highest share since last April at 8.2%. Ford (-8.8%) endures the only drop in the Top 10 and falls to #3. It is followed by BMW (+21.6%) up six spots on September to #4 and Vauxhall (+20.2%) up three to #5. Both fare significantly higher than their YTD levels at 7.3% vs. 5.6% share and 6% vs. 5.3% respectively. MG (+28%) sports the largest uptick in the Top 10 with Peugeot (+25.9%) shooting up five ranks on last month to #7 and 4.6% share vs. 3.3% YTD. Cupra (+63.5%), Renault (+57%), Volvo (+52.6%) Land Rover (+39.9%) and Skoda (+37.3%) also impress while Tesla (+24236.4%) explodes its volume as its end of quarter skew is abandoned.
The Ford Puma (+49.9%) reclaims the top of the models ranking it holds year-to-date with 3.1% share, distancing the Mini (+45.6%) up from outside the September Top 10 directly into 2nd place. It now ranks #8 year-to-date. The Vauxhall Corsa (+24.4%) posts a very satisfying month and climbs back up four spots on September to #3, a ranking it also holds YTD. The VW Polo scores its highest ranking since September 2022 at #4 while the BMW 1 Series shoots up to #5, managing its first UK Top 10 finish since October 2020 (#9) and equalling its ranking record also hit in December 2012. Below the Kia Sportage (+64.4%) in outstanding shape, the Peugeot 2008 (+43.5%) breaks its ranking record at #7. The Audi A3 (+38.4%) and Ford Kuga (+49.8%) also impress as does the Volvo XC40 back inside the Top 10 for the first time since last May.
Previous month: UK September 2023: Fleets lift market up 21%, 6 SUVs in Top 6, MG places two models in Top 10
One year ago: UK October 2022: Ford Fiesta #1, Nissan Qashqai #1 YTD, Ora lands, market up 26.4%
Full October 2023 Top 45 brands and Top 10 models below.
UK October 2023 – brands:
| Pos | Brand | Oct-23 | % | /22 | Sep | 2023 | % | /22 | Pos | FY22 |
| 1 | Volkswagen | 13,058 | 8.5% | + 2.0% | 1 | 136,391 | 8.5% | + 29.9% | 1 | 1 |
| 2 | Audi | 12,598 | 8.2% | + 23.6% | 3 | 116,666 | 7.3% | + 29.3% | 3 | 3 |
| 3 | Ford | 12,119 | 7.9% | – 8.8% | 2 | 123,894 | 7.7% | + 14.6% | 2 | 2 |
| 4 | BMW | 11,188 | 7.3% | + 21.6% | 10 | 89,403 | 5.6% | + 0.6% | 6 | 4 |
| 5 | Vauxhall | 9,266 | 6.0% | + 20.2% | 8 | 85,219 | 5.3% | + 15.5% | 7 | 7 |
| 6 | Toyota | 8,616 | 5.6% | + 3.3% | 5 | 93,639 | 5.8% | + 7.3% | 5 | 5 |
| 7 | Peugeot | 7,106 | 4.6% | + 25.9% | 12 | 53,477 | 3.3% | + 10.4% | 13 | 12 |
| 8 | Kia | 6,831 | 4.4% | + 13.1% | 4 | 96,784 | 6.0% | + 8.6% | 4 | 6 |
| 9 | Hyundai | 6,156 | 4.0% | + 8.7% | 11 | 75,456 | 4.7% | + 8.2% | 8 | 9 |
| 10 | MG | 6,079 | 4.0% | + 28.0% | 9 | 67,739 | 4.2% | + 57.3% | 11 | 13 |
| 11 | Mercedes | 5,900 | 3.8% | – 2.0% | 7 | 72,801 | 4.5% | + 2.0% | 10 | 8 |
| 12 | Skoda | 5,670 | 3.7% | + 37.3% | 13 | 58,913 | 3.7% | + 47.4% | 12 | 14 |
| 13 | Nissan | 5,036 | 3.3% | – 26.1% | 6 | 74,592 | 4.6% | + 25.1% | 9 | 10 |
| 14 | Land Rover | 4,582 | 3.0% | + 39.9% | 17 | 44,157 | 2.8% | + 19.0% | 14 | 16 |
| 15 | Mini | 4,512 | 2.9% | + 21.9% | 18 | 37,547 | 2.3% | + 4.5% | 17 | 15 |
| 16 | Volvo | 4,489 | 2.9% | + 52.6% | 15 | 41,656 | 2.6% | + 43.5% | 16 | 17 |
| 17 | Renault | 4,347 | 2.8% | + 57.0% | 14 | 34,467 | 2.1% | + 38.2% | 18 | 18 |
| 18 | Tesla | 2,677 | 1.7% | + 24236.4% | 16 | 42,406 | 2.6% | + 31.6% | 15 | 11 |
| 19 | Cupra | 2,523 | 1.6% | + 63.5% | 23 | 21,198 | 1.3% | + 76.4% | 25 | 27 |
| 20 | Citroen | 2,463 | 1.6% | – 11.4% | 20 | 26,185 | 1.6% | + 2.3% | 21 | 19 |
| 21 | Seat | 2,339 | 1.5% | + 52.7% | 22 | 26,679 | 1.7% | + 44.5% | 20 | 23 |
| 22 | Porsche | 1,996 | 1.3% | + 65.4% | 28 | 19,748 | 1.2% | + 50.1% | 26 | 25 |
| 23 | Suzuki | 1,962 | 1.3% | + 96.0% | 21 | 22,756 | 1.4% | + 50.9% | 23 | 26 |
| 24 | Dacia | 1,843 | 1.2% | + 3.9% | 24 | 23,299 | 1.5% | + 1.1% | 22 | 20 |
| 25 | Mazda | 1,842 | 1.2% | – 15.5% | 19 | 26,701 | 1.7% | + 28.2% | 19 | 21 |
| 26 | Honda | 1,777 | 1.2% | – 20.8% | 26 | 22,147 | 1.4% | + 2.1% | 24 | 22 |
| 27 | Jaguar | 1,449 | 0.9% | + 286.4% | 29 | 11,628 | 0.7% | + 10.5% | 29 | 28 |
| 28 | Lexus | 1,157 | 0.8% | + 50.8% | 25 | 13,131 | 0.8% | + 65.4% | 28 | 29 |
| 29 | Fiat | 1,070 | 0.7% | – 57.3% | 27 | 15,302 | 1.0% | – 14.5% | 27 | 24 |
| 30 | Polestar | 744 | 0.5% | – 30.4% | 30 | 10,862 | 0.7% | + 117.5% | 30 | 30 |
| 31 | Jeep | 261 | 0.2% | + 161.0% | 32 | 2,657 | 0.2% | + 24.4% | 31 | 32 |
| 32 | DS | 234 | 0.2% | – 56.6% | 35 | 2,220 | 0.1% | – 29.2% | 32 | 31 |
| 33 | BYD | 183 | 0.1% | new | 36 | 628 | 0.0% | new | 42 | – |
| 34 | SsangYong | 153 | 0.1% | – 7.8% | 34 | 1,417 | 0.1% | + 3.2% | 34 | 36 |
| 35 | Genesis | 149 | 0.1% | + 106.9% | 41 | 1,188 | 0.1% | + 86.2% | 36 | 39 |
| 36 | Alfa Romeo | 121 | 0.1% | + 15.2% | 38 | 1,250 | 0.1% | – 11.2% | 35 | 34 |
| 37 | Smart | 117 | 0.1% | + 105.3% | 42 | 471 | 0.0% | – 57.6% | 43 | 38 |
| 38 | Bentley | 106 | 0.1% | – 24.8% | 40 | 1,168 | 0.1% | – 15.6% | 37 | 33 |
| 39 | Ora | 92 | 0.1% | + 119.0% | 37 | 760 | 0.0% | + 1709.5% | 41 | 42 |
| 40 | Subaru | 89 | 0.1% | – 47.0% | 31 | 1,910 | 0.1% | + 80.9% | 33 | 37 |
| 41 | Abarth | 79 | 0.1% | – 74.8% | 33 | 766 | 0.0% | – 45.8% | 40 | 35 |
| 42 | Maserati | 64 | 0.0% | + 52.4% | 43 | 786 | 0.0% | + 27.2% | 39 | 40 |
| 43 | Ineos | 62 | 0.0% | new | 39 | 800 | 0.0% | new | 38 | – |
| 44 | Alpine | 16 | 0.0% | + 23.1% | 44 | 266 | 0.0% | + 11.8% | 44 | 41 |
| 45 | Maxus | 0 | 0.0% | new | 45 | 12 | 0.0% | new | 45 | – |
| – | Other British | 276 | 0.2% | + 52.5% | – | 2,795 | 0.2% | + 53.8% | – | – |
| – | Other Imports | 132 | 0.1% | + 3.1% | – | 1,500 | 0.1% | + 13.7% | – | – |
UK October 2023 – models:
| Pos | Model | Oct-23 | % | /22 | Sep | 2023 | % | /22 | Pos | FY22 |
| 1 | Ford Puma | 4,824 | 3.1% | + 49.9% | 2 | 42,136 | 2.6% | + 36.4% | 1 | 4 |
| 2 | Mini | 3,779 | 2.5% | + 45.6% | n/a | 26,249 | 1.6% | + 1.9% | 8 | 5 |
| 3 | Vauxhall Corsa | 3,464 | 2.3% | + 24.4% | 7 | 33,641 | 2.1% | + 4.7% | 3 | 2 |
| 4 | VW Polo | 3,426 | 2.2% | n/a | 8 | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| 5 | BMW 1 Series | 3,424 | 2.2% | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| 6 | Kia Sportage | 3,422 | 2.2% | + 64.4% | 3 | 31,575 | 2.0% | + 19.7% | 4 | 6 |
| 7 | Peugeot 2008 | 3,145 | 2.0% | + 43.5% | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| 8 | Audi A3 | 3,012 | 2.0% | + 38.4% | n/a | 25,452 | 1.6% | n/a | 10 | n/a |
| 9 | Ford Kuga | 2,948 | 1.9% | + 49.8% | 4 | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | 9 |
| 10 | Volvo XC40 | 2,577 | 1.7% | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| n/a | Hyundai Tucson | 2,561 | 1.7% | + 56.3% | 6 | 29,990 | 1.9% | + 23.3% | 6 | 7 |
| n/a | Vauxhall Mokka | 2,531 | 1.6% | + 3.6% | n/a | 25,473 | 1.6% | #VALUE! | 9 | n/a |
| n/a | Nissan Qashqai | 2,370 | 1.5% | – 43.9% | 1 | 34,952 | 2.2% | + 4.1% | 2 | 1 |
| n/a | Tesla Model Y | 1,910 | 1.2% | + 47650.0% | n/a | 30,087 | 1.9% | + 45.6% | 5 | 3 |
| n/a | Nissan Juke | 1,706 | 1.1% | n/a | 9 | 27,253 | 1.7% | n/a | 7 | n/a |
Source: SMMT
