6. Hyundai Tucson
The latest Tucson’s most appealing (or divisive, depending on how it sits with you) feature is its striking and unconventional appearance, headlined by a front end adorned with what the brand calls its “Parametric Hidden Lights.” As a show of Hyundai’s increasingly premium-market ambitions, the Tucson is the first car from the brand to be offered with adaptive damping technology typical of the German establishment.
5. Volkswagen Golf
One of the more evergreen entries, the Volkswagen Golf’s enduring popularity has taken a slight dent with the advent of SUVs and crossovers, but it’s still one of the most versatile new cars on sale today. It’s likely the most popular car in the top ten with car enthusiasts, too, given the availability of bonafide performance options like the front-wheel drive Golf GTI and four-wheel Golf R, which now kicks out well over 300PS (221kW). Volkswagen’s recently revealed update – the last Golf we’ll see – smartens up the exterior, adds nominal power upgrades and brings useful infotainment updates. More than 3,000 Golfs have been sold this year alone.
4. Volvo XC40
The Volvo XC40’s combination of chunky Swedish good looks, comfort and excellent safety mean this small, premium SUV competes with more mainstream models in terms of sales figures. It’s easy to see why. The Volvo’s minimalist interior means you immediately feel relaxed when you get aboard and its soft suspension and excellent refinement make it an ideal car to tackle long journeys. We can even see why many are turning away from the traditional Volvo estate in favour of SUVs like the XC40, which offer estate car space in a smaller footprint.
3. Ford Puma
When Ford revived the Puma name in 2019, it took the same approach as the ’90s original by leveraging the platform of the popular Fiesta supermini and using these humble underpinnings to develop a more desirable and profitable car. The glaring difference is that today’s Puma is not a small coupé but a small SUV. While we’ll forever mourn the coupé, seeing its sales dwarfed by the more practical and still fun-to-drive SUV is not surprising. Transforming it into an SUV has secured more than 3,000 sales this year already.
2. Nissan Qashqai
Is it all that surprising to see the car that started the crossover craze near the top this list of the UK’s most popular cars? Of course, it isn’t. Now, in its third generation, billions (well, many millions) of Qashqais have been sold globally. Designed in Britain, the new version continues the car’s success story based on a formula that gives you SUV looks in a car that drives and is almost as efficient as a regular hatchback. More premium than its predecessor, the new Qashqai is available as the e-Power – an EV with a petrol engine running as a generator. It has the silent running and instant thrust of an EV without needing to charge.
1. Kia Sportage
The Kia Sportage has cemented a place as one of Britain’s most popular SUVs, simultaneously affirming Kia as a mainstream brand in the UK. The first Sportage arrived in 1995 and continued on sale until 2003 when the Korean marque shifted just over 10,800. By contrast, Kia has already shifted almost 4,000 versions of the new model this year alone. The Sportage ticks all the family car boxes, with value for money, tech, and practicality all covered, along with a selection of electrified drivetrains.
