By Ilaria Grasso Macola
Nissan’s Qashqai has become the first British-built car to top the annual sales charts since 1998 in a welcome boost for UK car manufacturing.
Data published today by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) shows the hybrid SUV was Britons’ favourite car in 2022, with over 42,000 purchased over the past 12 months.
The Qashqai, which is engineered in Cranfield and built in Sunderland, was followed by Vauxhall’s Corsa and Tesla’s Model Y.
Ford’s Puma and the Mini rounded up the top five bestselling cars of 2022 while Sunderland-built Nissan Leaf ranked ninth in December’s top-10 bestsellers.
“While there are challenges for the sector here in the UK, with two cars built domestically among the top-10 best sellers, there’s a lot to be encouraged by too,” said Stuart Masson, editorial director at ratings company the Car Expert.
The data also showed an increased interest in cheaper models, with budget brands MG and Dacia sales up 67 and 55 per cent respectively for the full year compared to 2021.
The announcement comes amid a turbulent time for UK car production.
According to SMMT figures, 2022 was the worst year for car production in three decades, with output totalling 1.61m vehicles – 770,000 units below 2019 levels.
SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes said the disappointing results were mainly due to the pandemic’s residual effects on global carmakers, including supply chain shortages and higher logistics costs.
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