Volume of new passenger cars registered in the UK 2003-2020

In 2020, there were 1.63 million new passenger cars registered in the United Kingdom. This was a significant decrease of almost 30 year-on-year. While the coronavirus pandemic is widely accepted as the predominant reason for the slump, the purchase of new cars has consistently become more expensive, as well. The consumer price index exceeded 115 points in 2020, having grown by about 15 points in the past five years.

What consumers want

The most important feature British consumers were looking for in their new car was fuel efficiency. According to a 2020 Statista survey, some 60 percent of respondents reported this characteristic to be of importance to them when deciding on a new purchase. Vehicle safety, suitability for everyday use, low price, and high driving comfort were the features rounding off the top five.

Total number of licensed cars

The overall number of licensed cars in Great Britain came close to 31.7 million units in 2020. That year, the number of cars available in the market dipped for the first time in two decades. Almost 31.9 million units were registered in Great Britain in 2019.