INVESTIGATION
2021 THE WINNERS AND LOSERS
As the automotive industry says goodbye to 2021 and prepares for whatever 2022 can throw at it, we take a look at the sales triumphs and tribulations among the brands – and there are one or two surprises!
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t’s been a funny old year for the car market, with on and off restrictions, stock shortages and used cars that are worth more than new, but in among all that there have been some success stories – as well as some brands that have really struggled. Here are our winners and losers for 2021, all of which is based on SMMT data from January to November.
POLESTAR
Registrations to date in 2021: 3,663 Registrations to date in 2020: 608 Sales increase: 502.47% The Swedish-Chinese Volvo EV offshoot is really starting to get noticed, making a dent in the success of the Tesla 3 in the premium compact executive EV market. So far in 2021, Polestar has shifted 3,663 examples of the stylish Polestar 2 – the BMW 3 Series of the electrified generation. Even with a price tag of £49,900 before you’ve glanced at the options list, it’s a car that has clearly fired a few imaginations, and the brand can only grow from there.
HYUNDAI
KIA
FORD
South Korean brands have generally been less affected by the global semiconductor crisis than their peers, And with 64,940 sales by the end of November, Hyundai is back on track. The Kona and plug-in Ioniq have boosted sales, while a series of heritage-inspired EVs point to some curiosities around the corner.
Kia was always going to bounce right back, and the 87,914 registrations it has achieved so far in 2021 put it in sixth place overall in the UK car market, ahead of Vauxhall and snapping on the heels of Toyota. Fresh models such as the new Sportage and soon-to-be-launched new e-Niro will help it continue its stride in 2022.
At the end of 2021, it looks like Ford will relinquish its position as the UK’s best-selling car brand for the first time in four decades. The Blue Oval has been hit really hard by the global semiconductor shortage and has also seen the drop-off in diesel sales hit its fleet sector presence. Its fall in registrations means it’s slipped behind Volkswagen as the UK’s best-selling brand, and with no end in sight to the semiconductor problems, its bounce-back may take some time…
Registrations to date in 2021: 64,940 Registrations to date in 2020: 44,141 Sales increase: 47.12%
06 | CarDealerMag.co.uk
Registrations to date in 2021: 87,914 Registrations to date in 2020: 66,948 Sales increase: 31.32%
Registrations to date in 2021: 111,332 Registrations to date in 2020: 141,298 Sales decrease: -21.21%
