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What Does it Cost to Insure the UK's Most Popular Vehicles?
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The price you pay for car insurance will depend on a number of factors, one of which is the car you drive. In fact, some cars can cost hundreds of pounds more to insure than others, due to differences in repair/replacement costs, standard anti-theft features, safety records, etc. We've gathered quotes for the top 5 selling cars so far in 2018, as of April, to get an idea of what most new car owners will pay to insure their car.
What are the Most Popular Cars in the UK?
According to car registration data from the SMMT in March 2026, the best selling vehicle in the UK year-to-date in 2026 is the Ford Puma with 6,935 new car registered in the first two months of the year. The very-close runner up is the Kia Sportage, with 6,880 new cars registered so far in 2026.
| Rank | Car Make Model | Sales Jan - Feb 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | FORD Puma | 6,935 |
| 2 | KIA Sportage | 6,880 |
| 3 | JAECOO 7 | 5,505 |
| 4 | VAUXHALL Corsa | 4,237 |
| 5 | NISSAN Qashqai | 4,135 |
But how do these most popular cars compare in terms of insurance costs in 2026?
Which is the Cheapest Popular UK Car to Insure?
Of the 5 most popular UK cars, we found the cheapest car to insure in 2026 is the Vauxhall Corsa (which ranked 4th in terms of popularity). The Vauxhall Corsa cost 15% less to insure than the runner-up Ford Puma (cheaper by ~£75 per year for our sample driver).
To analyze each car we gathered insurance quote via a comparison engine for a sample 30-year-old driver with a good driving record and no history of recent claims. The following table ranks the top 5 most popular cars from least expensive to insure to most expensive to insure.
The most expensive to insure of the group was the Jaecoo 7. This car cost around 53% more to insure than the cheapest (~£235 per year for our sample driver).
| Rank | Car Name | OTR Starting Price | Average Excess | Average Yearly Insurance Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | VAUXHALL Corsa | £19,625 | £350 | £446 |
| 2 | FORD Puma | £26,580 | £500 | £522 |
| 3 | NISSAN Qashqai | £30,000 | £467 | £524 |
| 4 | KIA Sportage | £30,935 | £567 | £538 |
| 5 | JAECOO 7 | £29,435 | £500 | £681 |
While you might expect that the most expensive cars cost the most to insure, the data shows that this is not always the case. For example, the starting price of the Nissan Qashqai is higher than the Kia Sportage and the Jaecoo 7, yet costs less to insure. Perhaps this is due to certain cars being a more-likely target of car thieves or being more expensive to repair.
Methodology
Online comprehensive car insurance quotes were gathered from dozens of insurance providers for a 30-year old male car owner with a clean record, who expects to drive 7,000 miles per year, lives in an average-risk town and keeps their car in the driveway of their home, using the most popular models and trim levels for each car. Cars are brand new, 2026 reg year. Prices for older or younger cars and drivers would differ, as you can read about in our article on the average cost of car insurance.