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The Volkswagen Polo has been a favoured choice among UK drivers for decades, but has slipped out of the most popular cars chart in recent times. However, figures released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) show that the Polo was the second most popular car in April 2024, with 3,413 registered. The Ford Puma small SUV took the top spot, with 4,339 examples finding new homes. The Polo was some 403 registrations ahead of the third-placed Audi A3 with its total of 3,010.

Strong showing
The Polo was the most popular Volkswagen in the SMMT chart, but elsewhere in the top 10 list, other VW models gave a strong showing. The Golf was in fifth place (2,361 registrations), the T-Roc seventh (2,162 registrations), while the Tiguan rounded out the chart in tenth place (2,004 registrations). Overall, 134,274 new cars were registered in the UK during April 2024, a one per cent increase over the same month last year.

The UK’s top 10 most popular new cars during April 2024 and the year-to-date (registration figure and position in brackets) were as follows:

1 Ford Puma: 4,339 (19,393, 1st)
2 Volkswagen Polo: 3,413
3 Audi A3: 3,010 (13,503, 4th)
4 Nissan Qashqai: 2,495 (17.050, 2nd)
5 Volkswagen Golf: 2,361 (12,651, 6th)
6 Kia Sportage: 2,192 (15,824, 3rd)
7 Volkswagen T-Roc: 2,162 (11,096, 9th)
8 MG HS: 2,073 (12,101, 8th)
9 Volvo XC40: 2,069
10 Volkswagen Tiguan: 2,004

(The 2024 year-to-date top 10 most popular cars absent from April’s registration figures were the fifth-placed Nissan Juke, the seventh-placed BMW 1 Series, and the tenth-placed Mini with 13,070, 12,210, and 11,067 units recorded respectively.)

Eighth most popular UK used car
The SMMT has also named the Polo as one of the UK’s most popular used cars during Q1 2024. The Polo is the eighth most popular UK used car with 39,193 examples finding new owners during the first three months of 2024. Superminis were again the most popular vehicle type, with 640,711 changing hands – a 7.2 per cent increase over the same period in 2023. Overall, the UK used car market has grown 6.5 per cent to almost 2 million units in Q1 2024 – the fifth quarter of successive growth. This marks the best start to a year since 2019 as the second-hand market hits a five-year high. The top three used car colours were black, grey and blue.

It was a similar story in South Africa. The Citizen reports the sixth-generation (current) Polo was the country’s third most popular used car in April according to Auto Trader sales data. The Polo Vivo, based on the fifth-generation Polo sold globally from 2009-2017, takes fourth place.

In South Africa’s new car market, Business Tech states that, according to NAAMSA figures, the Polo Vivo was the third most popular model during April 2024, with 1,766 registrations. The sixth-generation Polo was in 11th place, with 822 units. Volkswagen Group South Africa was the third most popular brand, with 4,758 cars finding new homes, behind Suzuki (4,891) and Toyota (8,541). The Polo and Polo Vivo are manufactured at Volkswagen Group South Africa’s Kariega plant, situated around 465 miles east of Cape Town and 620 miles south of Johannesburg.

Most popular model in Brazil
Further afield, the Volkswagen Polo sits just behind the Fiat Strada pick-up in Brazil in terms of sales figures for the first half of May. The Polo trumps its Italian challenger overall in the year-to-date figures, though, with 44,392 examples going to new homes compared to the Fiat’s 43,636, making the Polo the most popular new car in the country by a whisker.

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New figures released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) show that the Polo was the most popular Volkswagen in the UK during 2021. More than 30,634 Polos were registered in the UK last year – that’s 394 more than even the perennial Golf.

The small Volkswagen was the fifth most popular car overall, and the third most popular supermini, following the Vauxhall Corsa in first place (40,914 units) and the Mini (31,792 units). The Corsa knocked the Ford Fiesta from its long-held top spot, thanks in part to the sem-conductor chip shortage which has plagued the car industry during 2021 and looks set to continue into 2022.

Volkswagen is UK’s most popular car brand
While the Polo missed out on a place in December’s UK top ten of most popular models, it was the most popular car in the UK twice during 2021, the first time in July, the second in October. The popularity of the Polo helped Volkswagen become the UK’s most popular car brand in 2021, with a total of 147,826 vehicles registered. 

The new all-electric ID 3 and ID 4 cars also aided Volkswagen’s rise to the top, with the ID 3 being the UK’s third most popular electric car in 2021, with 11,032 finding homes. It was also the recipient of 11 of Volkswagen’s 30 UK awards, while its ID 4 sibling was named World Car of the Year. Volkswagen’s share of the UK car market now stands at 8.97 per cent, and it leads the market for the first time.

The UK’s top ten most popular new cars during 2021 were as follows:

1 Vauxhall Corsa: 40,914
2 Tesla Model 3: 34,783
3 Mini: 31,792
4 Mercedes-Benz A-Class: 30,710
5 Volkswagen Polo: 30,234
6 Volkswagen Golf: 30,240
7 Nissan Qashqai: 29,922
8 Ford Puma: 28,697
9 Kia Sportage: 27,611
10 Toyota Yaris: 27,415

The updated version of the sixth-generation Polo went on sale in September 2021, after being unveiled in April. As well as a more digitised interior, the new Polo has sharper looks, and a new range of trim levels. A new more powerful 204bhp Polo GTI opened for UK order in November.

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That was a turn up for the books. A mainstay in the UK’s most popular cars chart for over a decade, the Volkswagen Polo is a favoured choice among UK drivers. However, in July 2021, it was the most beloved model of all. According to new figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), the Polo was the most popular car in July 2021, with 3,047 registered, 46 cars ahead of the Toyota Yaris.

In terms of year-to-date figures, the Polo has risen one position to seventh place with a total of 18,601 registered cars, 476 ahead of, yes, that pesky Toyota. The Vauxhall Corsa still tops 2021’s aggregate figures with 26,215 cars finding new homes, with the once unassailable Ford Fiesta in second place with 23,521 registrations.

Strangely, the Corsa doesn’t even appear in the July chart, and even the Fiesta is in ninth place, perhaps suggesting the global semiconductor chip shortage could be playing a part in the shake-up. Of course, we’d say that everyone has finally cottoned on to what we’ve known for decades: the Polo is the best supermini out there… For whatever reason, though, it’s finally number one, and we’re celebrating it!

For UK drivers who have embraced the Volkswagen Polo as their top choice, enhancing this beloved model’s capabilities is as important as its popularity itself. Amidst this shift in the automotive landscape, ensuring your cherished Polo is equipped with the latest features is a prudent move. Many car enthusiasts are turning to auto electricians for expert services, such as installing a dash camera, to bolster their vehicles’ functionality and safety. With the rising demand for cutting-edge technologies and customizations, trusted auto electricians play a pivotal role in keeping these favored cars up-to-date and perfectly tailored to their owners’ needs.

Supply chain shortages
The Polo’s success comes against a backdrop of the weakest July new car registrations since before the millennium. A total of 123,296 new cars were registered in July 2021, which the SMMT attributes to supply chain shortages and the UK’s Covid-app ‘pingdemic’. July’s figures were down by 29.5 per cent compared to 2020, and when compared to the last decade, totals were down 22.3 per cent on the average recorded over the past 10 years.

The UK’s top ten most popular new cars during July 2021 and the year-to-date (registration figure and position in brackets) were as follows:

1 Volkswagen Polo: 3,047 (18,601, 7th)
2 Toyota Yaris: 3,001 (18,125, 8th)
3 Kia Sportage: 2,631 (18,941, 6th)
4 Ford Puma: 2,621 (20,853, 5th)
5 Volkswagen Golf: 2,362 (21,970, 3rd)
6 Audi A3: 2,300
7 Mercedes-Benz A-Class: 2,186 (21,684, 4th)
8 Mini: 2,138
9 Ford Fiesta: 2,010 (23,521, 2nd)
10 Hyundai Kona: 2,006

(The 2021 year-to-date top ten most popular cars absent from July’s registration figures were the first-placed Vauxhall Corsa, the ninth-placed NissanQashqai, and the tenth-placed BMW 3 Series with 26,215, 17,812 and 17,188 units recorded respectively.)

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Following its return to the UK’s most popular cars chart in May 2021, the Volkswagen Polo solidified its major player status in June, according to figures released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). With 3,752 Polos registered, the small VW was in sixth place, ahead of other superminis such as the Toyota Yaris and the Mini hatch. In terms of the top 10 most popular cars chart for the year-to-date figures, the Polo is up two places from May, and now sits in eighth place with 15,554 registrations.

The Vauxhall Corsa continued its slide from the top spot and was placed fourth in June, with 4,375 registrations. The top placed supermini, the Vauxhall was one spot ahead of the Ford Fiesta (3,811 registrations) while May’s chart-topping car, the VW Golf, had to settle for second position in June ahead of the Ford Puma. The number one most popular car in the UK for June 2021 was the all-electric Tesla Model 3.

Superminis most popular
The SMMT reports that 186,128 new cars were registered in June, which is 28 per cent up from the same month in 2020 when retailers opened after the pandemic. The figure is down 16.4 per cent on the 10-year June average and down 26.8 per cent year-to-date, thanks in part to the global shortage of semiconductor chips. Once again, superminis – cars like the Polo – remained the UK’s most popular car choice, with a 34.1 per cent share. 

The UK’s top ten most popular new cars during June 2021 and the year-to-date (registration figure and position in brackets) were as follows:

1 Tesla Model 3: 5,468
2 Volkswagen Golf: 4,629 (19,608, 3rd)
3 Ford Puma: 4,477 (18,232, 5th)
4 Vauxhall Corsa: 4,375 (24,399, 1st)
5 Ford Fiesta: 3,811 (21,511, 2nd)
6 Volkswagen Polo: 3,752 (15,554, 8th)
7 Toyota Yaris: 3,456 (15,124, 10th)
8 Mini: 3,506
9 BMW 3 Series: 3,048 (15,402, 9th)
10 Kia Sportage: 2,957 (16,310, 7th)

(The 2021 year-to-date top ten most popular cars absent from June’s registration figures were the fourth-placed Mercedes-Benz A-Class and the sixth-placed Nissan Qashqai with 19,498, and 16,842 units recorded respectively.)

Polo Vivo tops South African charts
In figures released by Volkswagen South Africa, the Polo Vivo remains the new car registrations champion in South Africa, with 11,560 cars finding homes in the first six months of 2021. The sixth-generation Polo was in runner-up position, with 9,045 examples produced and exported by Volkswagen South Africa’s Kariega (formerly Uitenhage) factory. The company also registered over 32,600 vehicles in the first half of 2021, with the 3,893 Polo-based T-Cross compact SUVs registered, more than half of the company’s SUV registrations. Notable VW launches over the coming months include the arrival of the Golf 8 GTI in South Africa.

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The Volkswagen Polo made a triumphant return to the most popular cars in the UK chart in May, according to figures released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). With 3,518 Polos registered, the small VW was in an amazing third place, up six positions from April’s figures. May’s boost helped it re-enter the top 10 most popular cars chart for the year-to-date, where it sits in tenth place with 11,802 registrations.

The Vauxhall Corsa has topped the monthly chart for the past few months, but slipped to second place in May 2021, with 3,643 registrations. The Volkswagen Golf took the top spot with 4,181 registrations, the arrival of the newest eighth-generation model now fully embedded in the UK. Volkswagen as a brand is also the most-registered marque in the UK for 2021 so far, its 65,955 registrations beating Ford’s total of 60,464.

Eight-fold increase
In May, the SMMT reports that 156,737 new cars registered in May, which is significantly up from 2020 when retailers were closed because of the pandemic. This total is also almost an eight-fold increase on the same month last year, but is down -14.7 per cent on pre-pandemic May 2019, and -13.2 per cent on the 10-year May average. Once again, superminis – cars like the Polo – remained Britain’s most popular car choice, with a 31.1 per cent share. Total registrations for 2021 sit at 296,448 fewer units, or -29.1 per cent less than the average recorded across January to May during the last decade.

The UK’s top ten most popular new cars during May 2021 and the year-to-date (registration figure and position in brackets) were as follows:

1 Volkswagen Golf: 4,181 (14,979 4th)
2 Vauxhall Corsa: 3,643 (20,024, 1st)
3 Volkswagen Polo: 3,518 (11,802, 10th)
4 Mercedes-Benz A-Class: 3,922 (16,752, 3rd)
5 Ford Puma: 3,158 (13,755, 6th)
6 Kia Sportage: 2,956 (13,363, 7th)
7 Ford Fiesta: 2,794 (17,700, 2nd)
8 Toyota Yaris: 2,578
9 Mini: 2,561
10 Audi A3: 2,489

(The 2021 year-to-date top ten most popular cars absent from the May 2021 UK registration figures were the fifth-placed Nissan Qashqai, the eighth-placed Volvo XC40, and the ninth-placed BMW 3 Series with 14,447, 12,449 and 12,354 units recorded respectively.)

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