These were the top 10 best-selling UK cars of 2022

It wasn't that long ago that the Ford Fiesta was dominating this list, coming out on top a dozen times over the course of its life, most recently in 2020. But times are a changin', with buyers' tastes shifting away from superminis towards SUVs and crossovers that are merely based on superminis... hmm. In 2022 it was announced that the Fiesta would be withdrawn from sale for good in June 2023, and lots of you have snapped one up from Ford while you still can. We'll miss it when it's gone.

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To our palette, the Ford Kuga has always been a bit... bland. And while you get the sense that its success has more to do with people's appetite for SUVs (and strong levels of trust in the Ford brand) there's plenty that the Kuga does well: the tech is easy to use, it's spacious inside, and the handling delivers exactly what you need from a family car.

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'You can't go wrong with a Golf,' as the saying goes. And it would appear that a large proportion of the British public are prepared to buy into that mantra, judging by the hatchback's presence in the top 10. It isn't without its faults of course (that's right touchscreen, we're looking at you), but it's as practical as ever and drives well. Both explain why it's been a mainstay for yonks.

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A few years ago it’d be hard to imagine a car more dreary than the Hyundai Tucson (pronounced two-son, not tuck-son). But the South Korean company has been on something of a renaissance lately, winning TG’s coveted Manufacturer of the Year award in 2018 and creating instant classics like the i30N. The latest Tucson is no track toy, but it’s very, very good. And people have noticed.

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The Kia Sportage was the best-selling car in the UK in January, and figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) show it's still doing well. Like most Kias these days the Sportage is kitted out very handsomely, and the interior is roomy. Turns out we only want simple things from our cars. Hardly a surprise really, fish and chips is the national dish after all.

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In these turbulent times it’s reassuring to know that a British icon remains as stoic as ever. The Mini hatchback (owned by BMW of course) boasts a strong engine line-up and high levels of personalisation, which serve to keep the car high on our collective list of options.

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The Ford badge is always somewhere near the business end of this list, but these days it’s the Puma crossover leading the brand’s sales charge in the UK. Makes sense really, it’s based on the Fiesta so handling is great, the engine line-up is strong, interior quality is good and it’s just, y’know, an all-round performer.

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The Tesla Model Y was the best-selling electric car in the UK (battery-electric cars made up 16.6 per cent of the overall UK market) in 2022, and having bounced in and out of the top 10 last year a big shipment of units in December propelled it all the way up into third place. And it's little wonder given the combination of performance, 300+ miles of range and Tesla's excellent global charging infrastructure. Plenty there to forgive the gawkish styling.

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British drivers trust the Vauxhall brand, so it should come as little surprise that the Corsa supermini is doing so well on these shores. What's more of a surprise is that the UK has taken to it as strongly as it has, with the Corsa occupying the top spot on this list for most of 2022. Only in November was it displaced... It isn’t our favourite car in the class by any means, but it looks good, drives well and is value for money compared to the competition. There’s a Corsa Electric, too. And you can't argue with the buying public.

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The Nissan Qashqai is another of those cars that ticks all the right boxes for a top-10 seller. Trustworthy brand, practical, economical, spacious, competitively priced, up to date with the latest tech. It just makes sense. Not our favourite SUV to drive, but no one buys one on the strength of its cornering ability. And the proof is in the pudding, with the Qashqai winning the race to be crowned the UK's best-seller of 2022. Which makes this the most exciting race a Qashqai is ever likely to be involved in.

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