The best-selling car in the UK for January 2023 is the MG HS, according to the latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
The MG SUV delivered 3,481 examples last month, beating out Volkswagen’s T-Roc and Nissan’s Qashqai for the top spot.
The MG HS is sold with the option of a plug-in hybrid powertrain, as well as a conventional petrol engine option.
New vehicle registrations totaled 131,994 in January, the sixth straight month of growth. It was also the best start to a year since January 2020 (pre-Covid) with 149,279 registrations.
New cars buck the economic trend
The number of new cars registered last month rose 14.7% compared to January 2022, despite broader economic challenges posed by the cost of living crisis.
In January 2023, pure electric models accounted for 19.8% of all sales, and plug-in hybrid vehicles accounted for 6.9% of sales.
That means one in five new cars registered last month had a plug, and that number is expected to rise to one in four by the end of the year.
By 2024, SMMT expects battery and plug-in hybrids to account for nearly a third (31%) of all sales.
Infrastructure concerns could lead to electric vehicle decline
However, the SMMT is concerned that the public charging infrastructure will not be able to keep up with the growing demand for battery and plug-in hybrid models.
In the fourth quarter of 2022, the ratio of new charge point installations to new plug-in car registrations falls to one charger per 62 vehicles. For all of 2022, one standard public charger will be installed for every 53 newly registered EVs. This is the lowest rate since 2020.
The SMMT wants the government to introduce mandatory roll-out targets for charging infrastructure, as well as service standards for public chargers.
Reducing VAT on public charging from 20% to 5%, in line with home charging, is also seen as important in reducing EV ownership.
Best-selling new cars in the UK January 2023
| 1. | MG Expressway | 3,481 new registrations |
| 2. | Volkswagen T-Roc | 3,256 people |
| 3. | Nissan Qashqai | 3,121 |
| 4. | Kia Nero | 2,625 |
| 5. | Vauxhall Corsa | 2,425 |
| 6. | Kia Sportage | 2,409 |
| 7. | ford puma | 2,316 people |
| 8. | MG ZS | 2,260 |
| 9. | Hyundai Tucson | 2,259 |
| 10. | Ford Fiesta | 2,042 |
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