Volkswagen Bests Ford as UK’s Most Popular Car Brand

Recording nearly 9% of registered vehicles in the UK, Volkswagen has topped Ford as the country’s most popular car brand for the first time in 12 years, according to a new study by insurance and finance industry analysts at Confused.com.

Confused.com’s Q2, 2022 study analyses UK government vehicle registration data, detailing changes in the country’s car brand preferences between 2009 to 2020. The research reveals which car brands have been the most consistently popular and identifies specific models favored among UK drivers today.

In 2021, Volkswagen was the most popular manufacturer with a market share of 8.92%, with second-place Audi registering 7.1%. Last year, Volkswagen overtook Ford as the UK’s favorite car brand for the first time since 2009. Volkswagen’s market share has been steadily increasing since 2016 when it was the third most popular brand in the UK.

By 2021, three in 10 of registered vehicles in the UK were made by German manufacturers, including Volkswagen, Audi, BMW and Mercedes. German manufacturers produced 3.10 million units in 2021 – almost double the 1.56 million units produced by the U.S.

Today, Volkswagen, BMW, Mercedes and Audi make up 40% of the top 10 most popular brands in the UK.

Historically, according to Confused.com, Ford models have been the most popular choice among British drivers. From 2001 to 2008, the Ford Focus was the most favored car with more than 5% of the market share.