Volkswagen Retains Spot As UK's Best Selling Brand

06/01/2025 13:52 Share

Volkswagen Retains Spot As UK's Best Selling Brand

Volkswagen has held on to its position as the best-selling new-car brand in the UK for a fourth successive year after the final figures for 2024 were released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.

A total of 166,304 new Volkswagen passenger vehicles were registered across the calendar year, which marked an increase of 2.6% year on year.

It was also just over 41,000 above BMW in the second place, with Volkswagen taking a market share of 8.52%.

The ongoing success of the German brand in the UK came on the back of the introduction of a number of new models including the ID.7 and the latest Tiguan, with old favourites like the Golf and the Polo continuing to sell well.

The Golf was the sixth best-selling model in 2024, with the Polo coming in in tenth place. The ID.4 meanwhile was the tenth best-selling battery electric car.

“I am delighted that Volkswagen is once again the top-selling new-car brand in the UK – and with a healthy gap between us and the next closest brand in the market,” Rod McLeod, Director of Volkswagen UK, said.

“The results announced today underline the quality and popularity of our range, and of course our fantastic network of Volkswagen Retailers, who continue to deliver outstanding customer service.

“The past twelve months have had many highlights, including Golf's 50th anniversary, the re-introduction of Match trims, and glowing reviews and awards for new models including the ID.7, Passat and Tiguan.”

BMW’s move up to second as the best-selling premium brand came on the back of a strong year of growth for the Bavarian brand, with new registrations rising by just over 12%.

BMW performed strongly in the electric market, with the i4 being the fifth best-seller for the year.

“Our performance in 2024 reflects the strength of our product line-up and the dedication of our retailer network,” David George, Chief Executive Officer of BMW Group UK and Ireland, said.

“The BMW brand leading in the UK premium segment, coupled with over a quarter of BMW Group UK registrations being fully electric, demonstrates how innovative product and exceptional customer experiences continue to drive our success.”

Audi took third on the list despite seeing the number of registrations drop by nearly 11% year-on-year, with Kia, Ford and Mercedes rounding out the top six.

Ford had been second on the list in 2023, but saw its market share fall from 7.57% to 5.63%.

Aside from market newcomers such as BYD, the biggest growth came from Renault, with new car registrations rising by more than 36%. Volvo also saw substantial growth with an increase of 32%.