Source – Regtransfers – Leading UK Personalised Number Plates Supplier
2022 was a tough year for new car sales in the UK, with figures showing sales at a 30-year low, although there has also been a huge increase in personalised plates during the same period. The biggest seller of last year? The Nissan Qashqai. The latest figures relating to new car sales in the UK show that the SUV has come out on top, being praised all-round for its crossover design and the technology that leaves it as an industry-leader.
The statistics about new cars sold in the UK in 2022 confirm that the Nissan Qashqai is the biggest seller of the year. This marks the first time since 1998 that the Society of Motor Manufacturers & Traders (SMMT) has announced that a British-built model of car has ended up being the best-selling model of new car in a calendar year. It sold in greater numbers than the Tesla Model Y, Mini, Vauxhall Costa, and other models of cars. It was also the third-most sold new car in the month of December 2022, with only the Tesla Model Y and Model 3 selling more units in that period at the end of the year.
How many cars were sold in 2022?
There were only 1.6m new cars sold in the UK in 2022, a 2% fall from the year before and 30% down on the 2.31m new cars sold in 2019 before Covid-19 had the big impact it had on all areas of industry and life the world over. Alongside the on-going recovery post-Covid, there was also a well-documented semiconductor shortage that had an impact on the production of new cars in the past year. Demand outstripping supply for new cars did mean that many car dealerships ended up with record-breaking profits due to the fact they sold new cars with no discounts last year.
How many Nissan Qashqai vehicles were sold in 2022?
In total, there were 42,704 Nissan Qashqai vehicles sold in the UK in 2022. This is the first time that Nissan has found itself at the top of the new car sales charts in the UK. Andrew Humberstone, managing director of Nissan Motor (GB), said:
“This is a landmark moment for a landmark car, and it’s great to see how the latest generation Qashqai has struck a chord with car buyers here in the UK.”
“We’re absolutely thrilled to see this car’s increasing success over the last 16 years, and it’s a fitting tribute to the skills and talents of Nissan’s excellent design, engineering, production and sales teams all around the UK.”
The evolution of the Nissan Qashqai
The Nissan Qashqai is designed in Paddington, engineered in Cranfield, and has been built in Sunderland. This has created the perfect combination of an SUV and a hatchback. This is a dynamic crossover that has great appeal to the modern market. The crossover has remained a popular model of car since it was launched back in 2007, steadily climbing the ranks and becoming the most popular new car sold last year, despite some sceptics when it was first launched 16 years ago. The Nissan plant in Sunderland has in fact built an incredible 3.8 million Qashqai vehicles in that time.
The latest model of Nissan Qashqai appeals due to the innovative e-POWER technology that drives it, an electric experience of driving a car without the charging needs. It is the first model of car to have this technology in Europe, giving buyers the chance to reduce their carbon footprint if they are not quite ready yet to fully embrace the electric vehicle model entirely.
The electric vision that Nissan has will be embraced by the modern car driver, and Nissan has published its intentions as far as electric objectives go, in the EV36Zero plan. This includes a £1 billion EV manufacturing centre in North East England, producing both electric vehicles and electric batteries and providing up to 6,200 jobs. This is part of Nissan’s aim to be carbon neutral by 2050, with around 75% of its range of products going electric as soon as possible.
Why is the Nissan Qashqai so popular?
The compact footprint of the car and its higher driving position has always made a difference in the popularity of the Nissan Qashqai since it was first manufactured in 2007. It continues to be a popular crossover SUV for those very reasons, with the Nissan Juke having a similar success story. It has consistently come out better in direct comparison with both budget and premium car models that it comes up against in the market, with good visibility a key factor, as it the overall comfort of the interior for both driver and passenger. The Nissan Qashqai also has plenty of storage space without it compromising the driver experience.
Are personalised plates popular?
It is interesting to see the difference in general car sales in the UK over the last year and the interest in private number plates during the same period. The market has increased significantly in the last couple of years with the industry worth £2 billion in March 2022. Last year there was a large 82% rise in the average number of searches for personalised plates each month. For some people, investing in personalised driver plates is like investing in the stock market, for others it is about finding that personalised plate that means something personal to them or their family – either way, its popularity continues to grow in the UK.
There is expected to be a bounce back in new car sales this year, with the estimated new car sales thought to reach 1.85m cars. This will be a significant increase in sales from 2022, where just 1.61m new cars were sold in the UK, which in turn was 2% down on new car sales in 2021 (1.65m new cars sold) and the 2.31m new cars sold before the significant impact of Covid-19 in 2020 and beyond.
