The car brands that have had a good 2023 so far (and those that haven't)

Latest figures show that car registrations are up for the 12th consecutive month, with several manufacturers increasing their sales considerably more than others.

Data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) shows that a total of 143,921 cars were registered during July 2023, surpassing figures seen in July 2022 and July 2021, but still behind pre-pandemic numbers. Up to the end of July, just over one million (1,093,641) cars have been registered in 2023.

Electric cars (EVs) have seen particular success, with 23,010 EVs registered throughout July.

Petrol cars continue to be the most popular fuel type of car sold in the UK, accounting for 56.8% of the total UK market share. In July this year, 81,740 petrol and mild-hybrid petrol cars were registered.

The continued unpopularity of diesel cars is apparent in the latest month’s figures. A total of 11,148 diesel cars were registered in July, which sees the fuel type fall behind plug-in hybrids (PHEVs), which notched up compared to 11,702 registrations.

Read on to find out which brands have enjoyed 2023 so far, and those who have experienced a sharp decline in popularity.

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From petrol to full electric, discover the best cars for 2023

The brands experiencing the biggest growth

Percentage change based on sales Jan-July 2023 compared to the same period last year

Polestar (up 170.24%)

Owned by the same company as Volvo (Zhejiang Geely Holding Group,), Polestar has focused exclusively on electric cars since its Polestar 1 sports coupe PHEV went out of production. Its current range comprises just one car, the Polestar 2 hatchback. With more high-end electric models on the pipeline, Polestar is clearly looking to compete with other premium brands such as Tesla and Mercedes-Benz.

Read our Polestar 2 (2020-) review to see how this model performs in our lab tests.

Genesis (up 135.73%)

The luxury arm of Hyundai, Genesis has been rapidly increasing sales since they entered the UK market in 2021. While it also makes petrol and diesel cars, Genesis focuses on EVs, with models such as the GV60 and GV70 SUVs their best-sellers in the UK.

Although Genesis has experienced a decent increase in sales this year, it's worth pointing out that its overall market share is very small at just 0.08%.

Find out how both models perform in our Genesis GV60 (2022-) and Genesis GV70 Electrified (2022-) reviews.

Don't be caught out with your next purchase. Discover how to negotiate in our guide on how to get the best price on a car.

Subaru (up 98.01%)

It’s not just relatively new players that have been doing well. While Subaru is best known for its range of petrol SUVs, the Solterra SUV is the first electric model introduced by the brand.

It looks very similar to the Toyota bZ4X, but comes with more equipment as standard and a permanent all-wheel drive system.

We give the definitive verdict in our full Subaru Solterra (2022-) review.

MG (up 62.33%)

The first Chinese brand to enter the UK, MG's recent cars are very different to the re-badged Rovers of old. And with a focus on relative affordability, the brand has done well during the cost of living crisis.

Electric models such as the MG4 hatchback and MG5 estate have proved to be remarkably popular in the UK and undercut rival EVs by thousands of pounds.

See what we thought of the MG5 (2021-) in our full review.

The brands with the biggest falls in sales

Smart (down 76.96%)

Proof that being an early EV adopter is no guarantee of success, Smart has not fared well in recent times (as with Genesis, it's market share is very small at just 0.02%). Its only current model, the Fortwo EQ, has been on sale in various iterations since 2014. Even though it’s well suited to city life thanks to its small dimensions, the Fortwo EQ has a limited driving range.

Smart will no doubt be hoping its electric SUV (the Smart #1) will prove more popular. 

We’re currently lab-testing the Smart #1, but you can read our full Smart Fortwo EQ (2018-) review.

Abarth (down 62.88%)

Famed for souped-up versions of Fiat models, Abarth has suffered falls in sales over recent years. Its 595 and 695 versions of the Fiat 500 have been on sale in the UK since 2012 and 2014, respectively, with very few updates in that time.

The brand’s first all-electric model, the 500e, went on sale in 2023.

While we haven’t lab-tested any Abarth models, you can find out what we thought of Fiat’s 500e Cabriolet (2020-) in our review.

Fiat (down 20.54%)

Fiat is another manufacturer with an ageing line-up of models, with UK registrations of its cars having been heading the wrong way for some time. The Tipo hatchback has been on sale since 2016, while the Panda has been around in its current generation since 2012.

Fiat is planning to introduce several electric models, such as the 600 crossover and a new Panda.

Read our Fiat Tipo (2016-) review to see if this model shone in our lab tests.

The best-selling cars in July 2023

Source: SMMT
*Plug-in hybrid review
**Full hybrid review

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