REVEALED: UK’S MOST POPULAR CARS OF 2019


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VW Golf takes the title of the UK’s most popular new car model for the second year

Audi is the public’s most desirable brand for new cars, rising up above BMW

Black cars found to be the nation’s favourite, followed by classic blue and silver

27th December 2019 – This year, the UK’s most popular new car is a black Volkswagen Golf, according to a study of the nation’s tastes, including analysis of over 38 million new car ad views online.

The research published in the UK’s Most Popular Cars 2019 report, commissioned by Auto Trader, the UK’s largest digital marketplace for new and used cars, combines a survey of 2,000 UK drivers with search data from ad views on Auto Trader’s website and app to reveal the most popular makes, models and features on the new car market.

According to the report, the Volkswagen Golf is the UK’s most popular model of new car, ahead of traditional top sellers the Ford Fiesta and Focus. This is the second year in a row that the Golf has taken the top spot, showing its appeal to a broad range of car buyers.

Top 10 Most Popular Cars of 2019 (based on ad views)

1 .Volkswagen Golf1,307,303
2. Ford Focus846,212
3. Ford Fiesta721,306
4. Land Rover Range Rover617,085
5. Land Rover Range Rover Sport591,323
6. BMW 3 Series562,623
7. Mercedes-Benz A Class541,700
8. Land Rover Range Rover Evoque525,550
9. Volkswagen Polo463,548
10. Mercedes-Benz C Class460,924

Audi is named as this year’s most desirable overall new car brand with a total of 4,814,795 ad views since January 2019, overtaking BMW by almost 800,000 views and continuing the tight contest between the German brands.

The data also shows that interest in new electric cars is starting to overtake that for petrol hybrids. The electric Audi E-Tron is revealed as the UK’s most popular eco car, aligning with changing attitudes towards going green, as the government offers subsidies and manufacturers continue to improve range and battery costs of their greener models.

Top of the shopping list for new car features are air conditioning and climate control (52% said this was important when selecting a new car), electric windows (49%) and a spacious boot (41%). 

Amongst the least popular features are a panoramic sun-roof (9%), heated steering wheels (8%) and Apple CarPlay or Android Auto (7%).

The report also reveals that Black is the UK’s most popular colour preference for a new car (21%), followed by Blue (19%) and Silver (16%).

Auto Trader’s Rory Reid says: “Audi’s performance shows the strength of its brand across all classes and price brackets. From the A1 to its prestige and electric models, it has something to appeal to all tastes and budgets.  Audi performed particularly well with drivers aged 34 and under, highlighting its status as a brand to which many younger motorists aspire.

“The Volkswagen Golf also performs well, outscoring top selling models such as the Ford Fiesta and Focus, indicating the strength of this evergreen brand with new car buyers.

“The most popular electric cars are consistently outscoring petrol hybrids for desirability in the eco ranges, suggesting a change in the nation’s tastes for more environmentally friendly cars and the impact of a wider roll out for charging points. For example, the top scoring electric model, the Audi E-Tron, gained 7% more interest than the top petrol hybrid, the Toyota Corolla.”

You can find brand new cars on Auto Trader at pre-haggled prices. For more information on the UK’s Most Popular Cars 2019 report by Auto Trader, click here.

– ENDS-

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Notes to Editors:

Survey sample: nationally representative sample of 2,000 UK motorists

About Auto Trader

Auto Trader Group plc is the UK and Ireland’s largest digital automotive marketplace. Auto Trader sits at the heart of the UK’s vehicle buying process and its primary activity is to help vehicle retailers compete effectively on the marketplace in order to sell more vehicles, faster. Auto Trader listed on the London Stock Exchange in March 2015 and is now a member of the FTSE 100 Index.

The marketplace brings together the largest and most engaged consumer audience. Auto Trader has over 90% prompted brand awareness and attracts circa 50 million monthly cross platform visits each month, with over 70% of visits coming through mobile devices.

The marketplace also has the largest pool of vehicle sellers (listing around 450,000 cars each day). Around 80% of UK automotive retailers advertise on autotrader.co.uk.

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